PANAJI
Goa began their Cooch Behar Trophy Under-19 campaign in emphatic fashion, defeating Chhattisgarh by an innings and 13 runs within three days of their four-day encounter. The match was held at Bhilai Sector 10 BSP Ground
Responding to Chhattisgarh's first-innings total of 170 all out, Goa piled up a commanding 389 for 9 before declaring. Skipper Yash Kasvankar was the star of the show, scoring a magnificent unbeaten 243, and later returning to claim 5 wickets for 40 runs, showcasing excellence in both disciplines. Shiven Borkar (3/70) and Chigurupati Venkata (1/23) contributed crucial breakthroughs.
Goa declared at their overnight score of 389/9 on the second day. Although Kasvankar was just seven runs short of a personal milestone of 250, he chose to prioritize the team's strategy by opting for an early declaration.
In their second innings, Chhattisgarh once again faltered. They lost opener Balaji Rao cheaply, but Yash Kumar Varda (46) and Shivam Yadav (7) carried the total to 73 before Shiven broke the stand. A mini-collapse followed as the visitors slipped to 77/4. Captain Vikalp Tiwari (42) and Vedansh Khedia (33) steadied the innings with a valuable 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but a run-out ended their resistance.
Chhattisgarh attempted a defensive approach to prolong their innings, but Goa's bowlers remained relentless, eventually dismissing them for 206 in 78.4 overs. emphatically falling short of making Goa bat again.
With this dominant win, Goa secured 7 points, including bonus points. Goa will next face Assam from November 23 to 26 at the Panjim Gymkhana Ground.
