PANAJI
Goa’s Ranji Trophy campaign suffered a crushing setback as the hosts were thrashed by Baroda by an innings and 135 runs in their Elite Group A opener at the Panjim Gymkhana Ground, Panaji, on Wednesday
Conjuring up on a magical recipe of spin, with twin 9-wicket match hauls by right arm offbreak, Mahesh Pithiya (5-58 and 4-66) and slow left arm orthodox, Bhargav Bhatt (4-51 and 5-32), Baroda registered an outright victory with a bonus point.
With a difficult task of saving the match, still 238 runs behind, and at 35-1, Goa batters -Shivendra Bhujbal on debut batting on 13 along with his captain, Abhinav Tejrana on 14, walked out to bat under the blazing sun on day 4.
Determined to withstand the tormenting slower bowlers in the opposition, they complemented each other with grit and determination. A partnership that entertained brief thoughts of steering the home side out of trouble, was as good a repair job as 80 runs (215b, 154 mins) for the second wicket.
Starting the slide, was rising Baroda slow bowler, Mahesh Pithiya, who outsmarted Tejrana to nick one behind to keeper, Mitesh Patel after compiling a patient 47 (100b, 3x4, 1x6). While the Baroda spinners had the bragging smarts for most of the match, young pacer, Raj Limbani decided to join in the fun inducing seasoned batter, Snehal Kauthankar to a false stroke and dismissed without troubling the scorers. At 95-3, Goa were in a broth, much against the run of play in the opening session.
The 23-year-old Bhujbal, who battled it out with aplomb in the opening two and half quarters of the day’s play, was undone at the end of the first over, post lunch, by the guiles of veteran Bhargav Bhatt. The young wicketkeeper batter edged to Shivalik Sharma at first slip after contributing an obdurate 46 (154b, 4x4). As Goa wobbled at 115-4 after 48 overs, more fielders crowded around the facing batter as the home side began to fall like a deck of playing cards. Goa were eventually bundled out for 138 in 68 overs, 32 minutes before tea.
At the post-match, though both Mahesh Pithiya and Slow Left arm Orthodox, Bhargav Bhatt scalped nine wickets in the match, the adjudicator decided to award Pithiya as the Player of the Match on basis of picking up more wickets in the first innings. Incidentally, it was Pithiya’s second 9-fer in 25 First Class matches.
Baroda took seven points from their opening round game, while Goa will look to rebound and get off the mark as they take on the formidable Uttar Pradesh from 18th October at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur.
BRIEF SCORES
Baroda, 1st innings: 472-8 decl in 157 overs (Atit Sheth 99, Mitesh Patel 81, Mohit Redkar 3-120); Goa, 1st innings: 199 in 71.1 overs (Lalit Yadav 54, Snehal Kauthankar 50, Mahesh Pithiya 5-58, Bhargav Bhatt 4-51); Goa, 2nd innings F/0: 138 in 68 overs (Abhinav Tejrana 47, Shivendra Bhujbal 46, Bhargav Bhatt 5-32, Mahesh Pithiya 4-66)
Baroda win by an innings and 135 runs
