Air India had it easy against a listless Mahindra Rise who for the second successive match failed to get past a three figure score as they mustered a measly 87 for 8 in their 20 overs. In reply, Air India took off without much hassles and surpassed the target in 11.2 overs, losing just three wickets in the bargain
The Goan Network
Porvorim
Air India beat Mahindra Rise by seven wickets in a one-sided Group B contest of the Goa Corporate League T-20 tournament at GCA grounds, here on Tuesday.
On winning the toss, Mahindra Rise elected to bat first, but put up another listless batting performance. Their batting was so listless that in back-to-back matches the team failed to reach a total under three figures despite lasting the full quota of overs. On this occasion, they managed 87 for the loss of eight wickets. If they had a batsman who looked to play on another batting strip altogether it was their opener, Ankit Mishra who carried his bat with an unbeaten 56 that came in 65 deliveries studded with six boundaries and a delightful pull over mid-wicket off slow bowler Chahal for a six. The rest of the batsmen were only visitors at the wicket, none of whom reached double digits.
The story of submission to the opposition was hinted early, when they looked to bat very sedately even when the field restrictions were on. By the sixth over they were 29 for the loss of one wicket, and the pattern continued the innings through.
For the Air India bowling, Yuzvendra Chahal impressed with his flight through the air and deception with teasing returns of 2/19 off his four overs.
Domestic veteran all-rounder Rajat Bhatia was very economical with his military medium line and length deliveries to have a standout analysis of 4-0-9-2.
In reply to the measly target, Air India got off to a horror start, losing make-shift opener Hiten Dalal and one-down, Himanshu Asnora for no scores. They were done in with pacer Gaurav Bhengre bowling with his tail up who ran up with menacing pace to knock them off in the first over itself. At 6/2 after the first over, regular opener and skipper, M S Bisla who was seen batting at the nets at the point, realising the gravity of the situation came out to bat. Together with Kaushik, they batted out the initial potency in the Mahindra Rise attack with caution playing the singles and twos and striking the odd boundary. As their partnership progressed, they gradually opened up their arms to play the bigger hits.
Bisla who made 30 (21b, 4x4, 1x6) perished shortly after hitting a maximum, in his tryst to finish off the match in a hurry.
They eventually reached the target in the 12th over with Aditya Kaushik holding his end up with a solid unconquered 43 and Rajat Bhatia giving him company on 5.
The Mahindra Rise attack had only one glow with Gaurav Bhengre's pace accounting for two sticks while conceding 27 runs off his three overs.
In the second match, a Group A encounter played under floodlights, between IOC and CAG, the latter decided to bat first on winning the toss. Off only the second ball of the match they lost their opener who was taken at point for a well-judged catch off the bowling of Balwinder Sandhu.
BRIEF SCORES
Mahindra Rise 87 for 8 (Ankit Shastri 56*; Rajat Bhatia 2 for 9, Yuzvendra Chahal, 2 for 19) lost to Air India 88 for 3 in 11.2 ov (Aditya Kaushik 43*, Manvinder Bisla 30; Gurav Bhengre 2 for 27) Man of the match: Aditya Kaushik
BOX ITEM
GCA in soup as floodlights black out twice
At 4/2 after 1.4 overs, with CAG batting first against IOC, the match-was held up with one of the floodlights blacking out. The game resumed after around 15 minutes when the lights were fully functional. With the score moving to 11/2 after 3.1 overs, the earlier floodlights that went off, failed again. At this juncture, the fielding team (IOC) took to resting in a huddle on the verdant greens at the side of the wicket while the Match Referee Vinod Dhamaskar came on the field to discuss the issue with the on field umpires, Yeshwant Barde and Pandhari Shirodkar. The game resumed after the second stoppage, with the loss of a further 15 minutes. At the end of the first match, the organizing committee had to face the ignominy at the post match ceremony when the Man of the Match, Aditya Kaushik (Air India) was presented a blank cheque which was supposedly to have Rs 10,000 mentioned on it. It is given to understand, that the cheque presented to the Air India opening batsman was actually the one kept for the Man of the Tournament to be handed over post the finals on March 20.
