Punjab's Prerit Dutta (20 and 5-48) was named the Player of the Match.
Photo Credits: Basil Sylvester Pinto
SCORES: Goa, 1st innings. 104 in 41.2overs (Arjun Tendulkar 23; Mayank Markande 4-12) & 2nd innings. 179 in 46.3 overs (Deepraj Gaonkar 46, Mohit Redkar 44; Prerit Dutta 5-48) vs Punjab, 1st innings. 190 in 65 overs (Anmolpreet Singh 60; Deepraj Gaonkar 3-30) & 2nd innings. 96/4 in 18.3 overs (Nehal Wadhera 49*)
PANAJI
It was all but certain that the match was likely to culminate before lunch on day 3. Given the nature of the wicket, another 79 runs to get and eight wickets in hand, not many would envision that the visiting Punjab side would seal the deal by six wickets within 55 minutes of the opening session against Goa in their fourth round Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash at the Goa Cricket Association Academy in Porvorim on Sunday.
Resuming at 15/2, Punjab were the clear favourites to register their first win of the campaign and move off the foot of the Elite Group C table. But this did not come as easy as the scoreboard at a glance may suggest. The visitor's first innings hero, Anmolpreet Singh joined nightwatchman Mayank Markande at the crease and looked troubled from the outset. Early in his innings, Anmolpreet played a delivery off spinner, Darshan Misal towards mid-off and called his partner Markande for a risky run. The fielder Rahul Tripathi swooped up the ball and in a swift motion ran Markande (8) out at the striker's end as Punjab were reduced to 16/3 in 7 overs. Not long after, Anmolpreet who was an imagery of class and confidence in the first essay, looked shaky the second time around. He stepped out and took a swipe off Slow Left arm Orthodox, Darshan Misal only for the Goa keeper, K V Siddarth to make a hash of the stumping opportunity. Punjab could have been in trouble at 17-4 and the match set up for a low-scoring thriller.
But all was still not lost for Goa, as speedster Heramb Parab, though erratic, looked promising at times for the important breakthrough and was entrusted with a sustained spell, as his captain Misal probed at the other end. Parab was eventually rewarded when after being driven straight down the ground by Anmolpreet, on the ensuing delivery had the batter play a false stroke to be comfortably taken by Deepraj Gaonkar at short midwicket. Anmolpreet made 12 as Punjab slumped to 38/4 midway through the 14th over. Another wicket at this stage could have set the cat among the pigeons in the Punjab coop. 23-year-old Nehal Wadhera who missed out in the first essay was keen to make a statement. He was joined by keeper-batsman Prabhsimran Singh and the pair looked to play the Bazball brand of cricket to counter the conduciveness that the deck offered the Goa attack. While Wadhera smacked Parab for a maximum early in his innings, his partner, Prabhsmran meted out similar treatment to Misal.
At the start of the 16th over and on the score 56/4, a swipe by Prabhsimran off the pacer, Parab had his partner, Wadhera walk up to him for a quick word. Whatever may have been spoken might have well had a part in the eventual outcome. As Prabhsimran tempered his approach, Wadhera took over showcasing more than just a glimpse of his stripes as a Mumbai Indians batter. Wadhera in only his second First Class season, showcased his T20 gamemanship under the circumstances which was exemplified when he reverse swept Right arm Offbreak, Mohit Redkar over point for his second of three clean hits over the ropes. Much against the run of play, Punjab had a moment of anxiety when Wadhera on 30 struck a delivery towards deep midwicket, and a lunging Deepraj Gaonkar could not latch on as the ball sailed over the ropes.
Wadhera ended the match in style with a well-struck four off slow bowler, Redkar as Punjab went over the line at 96/4 in 18.3 overs with Wadhera striking at 181.48 for an unbeaten 49 with the help of five boundaries and three maximums. Prabhsimran stayed unbeaten on 19 (15b, 1x4, 1x6). The rollicking Wadhera-Prabhsimran unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 58 runs came off merely 30 deliveries. Slow Left arm Orthodox, Prerit Dutta from Punjab (20 and 5-48) who played in only his third First Class Match was adjudged Player of the Match
With their second loss in the campaign, Goa slipped a spot to be at the seventh place with four points, only above Chandigarh. On the other hand, Punjab jumped two places to the sixth position with their maiden win of the campaign. Goa will play their next match in Porvorim against Tamil Nadu from February 2.
