All-rounder celebrates 20th birthday with a magnificent maiden First Class hundred against goa
BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO
PANAJI
All-rounder Anukul Roy struck a magnificent maiden hundred (127) to guide Jharkhand to a crucial 26-run lead over hosts Goa of the Rd IV Elite Group C Ranji Trophy match at the GCA Academy ground, Porvorim on Friday.
The visitors ended their first essay on 390 before pacer Ashish Kumar removed Goa opener Sumiran Amonkar (1) as the hosts finished at 10/1 at stumps on Day 3. The other opener, Amogh Desai was batting on 4 and promoted Vishamber Kahlon on 1 on First Class debut. The hosts trail Jharkhand by 16 runs.
Earlier in the day, Jharkhand -- resuming from their overnight score of 147/2 -- lost the experienced Saurabh Tiwary with an addition of only 12 runs to their total. The former India player played across the line to be caught behind off a teasing Amogh Desai delivery. An hour into the day’s play, the Goa spin twins, Amulya Pandrekar and Darshan Misal came into play. An in-form Ishank Jaggi lost his stumps for 12 to Misal as Goa came back into the contest with the visitors reduced to 187/4.
Meanwhile, Pandrekar was on top of his game and it was not long before he had breakthroughs in successive overs to tilt the game in the home side’s favour. One-down Utkarsh Singh was caught and bowled for 75 (188b, 9x4) while Kumar Deobrat was found plumb for nought against Pandrekar.
At 217/6, the visitors, were in danger of conceding a first innings lead. But middle-order batsman, Virat Singh and 20-year-old Roy -- who was part of India’s U-19 World Cup-winning team -- frustrated the Goa attack with careful shot selection.
At lunch, Jharkhand progressed to 255/6 in 78 overs, still 109 runs adrift of the home side’s total with Virat on 20 off 48 balls and Anukul on 27 off 47 balls. The pair raised a vital 91-run seventh wicket stand before Virat became Amogh’s second victim, castled after making a patient 41 (107b, 2x4).
From 308/7, a secure and composed Anukul Roy was looking for another able ally to hold fort. New man Rahul Prasad, though unable to contribute to the team score held ground for 11 deliveries and helped take his side to 325 before becoming Goa’s go-to man, Pandrekar’s third scalp. Jharkhand at this point were 39 in arrears of Goa’s first innings score.
In walked Ashish Kumar at 10, playing out nine balls cautiously without opening his account. Kumar gave company to Anukul on a controlled 82 off 148 balls to take the side to 332/8 in 108 overs at tea with the game intriguingly poised.
Post tea, Ashish Kumar opened his account with a boundary from a fielding lapse. Kumar gradually grew in confidence while Anukul calculatingly farming most of the strike. The young Anukul, who only debuted at this level at the start of the season with a well-made 80 in his first innings against Assam in Ranchi, had a muted celebration on reaching his first three figure score in First Class cricket when he ran a single to reach his first hundred (183 balls, 11x4) in the 118th over off Amogh.
It was only after they surpassed Goa’s first innings score with four byes in the 122nd over, Anukul exulted with a punch in the air and a loud ‘yes’, to celebrate the three-figure landmark moments later with outstretched arms. Anukul after helping his team secure a significant first innings lead, stepped on the gas to pepper the boundary twice along with two sixes. He eventually became the ninth wicket to fall on 390 after making a near chanceless 127 coming from 212 balls, spanning 222 minutes, and that included 13 boundaries and two sixes.
His partner, Ashish Kumar who helped him put an important 65-run partnership for the ninth wicket, lost his wicket soon after without adding a run to the total. He was the last man out after making an obdurate 9 (46b, 2x4). Both, Anukul and Kumar were snared by leggie Kahlon. In the Goa attack, Amulya Pandrekar was a standout with 3/78. Amogh Desai, Darshan Misal and Vishamber Kahlon snapped up two
wickets each.
