the goan I network
PANAJI
Reeling at 36/4 at the start of the 18th over, it required a captain’s knock from Alam Khan with the help of his middle and late order batsmen to reduce the early damages and bring some order of respectability to their innings as Goa ended Day 1 on 188/6 in 90 overs against Andhra in their first innings of the Cooch Behar Trophy U-19 (2018-19) Rd IV Elite Group C match at Margao Cricket Club on Monday.
Goa on winning the toss, chose to bat. But the move was soon to backfire as they lost Rahul Mehta (2) by the end of the second over with only six runs on the board. Mid-way through the morning session, Goa were to lose another three batsmen to totter at 36/4. It required the steely resolve and class of middle-order batsmen in captain, Alam Khan and recalled Ketan Nandrekar to salvage the situation. The pair took the team to lunch feeling a lot better at 76/4 in 34 overs with Alam on 39 and Ketan on 9.
Post lunch, Mohit Redkar replaced his captain who took ill at the crease. The resistant shared fifth wicket partnership was finally broken when Mohit 18 (51b, 4x4) was out in the 52nd over at the total of 109 with Ketan at the other end. The Mohit-Ketan pair put on 29 runs (of 69) in 103 balls for the crucial stand. Mohit’s return to the pavilion brought back Alam Khan to the wicket. He was involved in the 40 runs in 109 balls, other part of the 69-run fifth wicket stand with Ketan Nandrekar, who was the last wicket to fall in the day for a promising 23 (137b, 1x4) with the scoreboard reading 123/6 in 60.4 overs.
Krishna Thakur coming it at number eight made a determined 25* (89b, 4x4) as he saw the Goa colts to stumps together with his captain. Krishna-Alam have raised an unbeaten 65-run stand for the seventh wicket on a wicket that has offered little help to the bowlers as the day progressed.
In the Andhra attack, pacer A Pranaykumar was the most successful bowler with 2/29 as returns.
Goa made four changes in their XI from their last match. Batsmen Yash Porob, Saiesh Kamat and Ketan Nandrekar came in while left-arm chinaman bowler Shadab Khan gets an opportunity to prove his mettle.
BRIEF SCORES
GOA U-19 1st inns: 188/6 in 90 ov, RR: 2.09 (Alam Khan 86*; A Pranaykumar 2/29) v Andhra
