PANAJI
Promising 18-year-old keeper-batsman, Kumar Kushagra (96) and all-rounder Utkarsh Singh's triple strikes with his off-breaks put Jharkhand in a commanding position in the second round Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match against Goa at the Keenan Stadium, Jamshedpur on Wednesday.At stumps on Day 2, Goa were tottering at 99-4 in their first innings with experienced middle-order batters, Snehal Kauthankar on 6 and Siddhesh Lad on 4 at the crease.
Earlier in the day, the home side resuming at 280-4, could have lost a wicket of their seasoned southpaw Saurabh Tiwary first ball, but the Goa pace spearhead, Lakshay Garg revisited his overstepping dilemma. The mistake did not prove dearly as Tiwary was dismissed next ball on his overnight score of 65.
While Garg made the second new ball taken at the start of day's play count with a probing line and length, on the other end his pace partner, Arjun Tendulkar was erratic.
Within the first half hour of play, Garg was rewarded with another scalp with Kushagra falling for 96 (141b, 11x4, 3x6), on what could have been his second First Class century. Kushagra was smartly snapped by Goa wicket-keeper Eknath Kerkar as Jharkhand slipped to 331-6. Bowling all-rounders, Anukul Roy and Shabaz Nadeem came together to do the repair work as the home side looked on course to take their side past the 400-run mark.
Right-arm offbreak bowler, Mohit Redkar came into the act against the run of play, trapping Anukul plumb leg before on 30. Jharkhand were reduced to 374-7 and went to lunch with an addition of 10 runs and three wickets still in hand.
Post lunch, the home side lost their remaining wickets in no time, only five more runs were added in 5.1 overs. Darshan Misal induced an outside edge of Rahul Shukla's (2) bat to keeper Kerkar. Arjun Tendulkar after a laborious 25 overs with nothing to show, clean-bowled Nadeem (25). Sushant Mishra did not trouble the scorers becoming Misal's fourth victim.
Goa openers, Sumiran Amonkar and Amogh Desai looked to score runs off the Jharkhand pace battery at a fair clip. While Sumiran overcame a shaky start, Amogh looked confident-personified from word go. Early in his innings, an exquisite extra cover drive to the boundary indicated things to come. Goa moved to 41-0 in nine overs with Sumiran settling in at 17 and Amogh in fine fettle on 24.
But with the introduction of spin in the tenth over, the complexion of the innings began to gradually change. Runs began to dry up, as pressure was exerted by the Jharkhand slow left-arm orthodox spin twins, Shabaz Nadeem and Anukul Roy. Sumiran and Amogh were a study of technique and temperament in these testing times. Amogh was lucky to survive a chance on 27 when an outside edge flew to second slip with Anukul putting down a regulation catch. Goa were 48 for no loss then, and put the odd close call behind them, as runs came at a trickle.
At 74-0 in 31 overs, Goa looked steadfast to realise a significant opening partnership. The introduction of offbreak bowler Utkarsh Singh into the attack as the sixth bowler proved a master stroke. Right from the outset, while keeping things simple and disciplined and no prodigious spin to showcase, Utkarsh troubled the visitors with the slow pitch as his ally.
Utkarsh had Amogh's middle stump uprooted with the batsman on 41 (88b) to provide Jharkhand's initial breakthrough with drinks taken at 78-1 in 33.5 overs. With only five runs added to the Goa first innings total, the offie dealt another blow to the visitors. The other set opening batsman, Sumiran 41 (135b) departed edging one to slip, this time Anukul Roy doing no wrong with a smart reflex catch. Utkarsh at this point had startling returns of 2-2 from 4.5 overs, as First Class centurion on debut from the last game, Arjun Tendulkar strode out to bat at 4, as a nightwatchman. Goa were hoping that Arjun would be able to replicate his last match heroics to an extent with Suyash Prabhudessai, new at the wicket as well.
Utkarsh though was on top of his game. He bagged his third victim of an in-form Suyash Prabhudessai (2) as Goa were reduced to 84-3. Snehal Kauthankar, in fine form this season looked to break the shackles, even launching one over the ropes for his first runs. His partner, Arjun Tendulkar was solid in defence. The uncanny pro, Nadeem though enticed Arjun to go for an expansive drive playing against the spin and bowling him squarely through the gate for a single run.
Snehal Kauthankar on 6 and Siddesh Lad on 4 took Goa to stumps at 99-4, still adrift the home side by 287 runs.
SCORES
>Jharkhand, 1st innings: 386 in 128.1 overs (Kumar Kushagra 96, Saurabh Tiwary 65, Darshan Misal 4- 68) Goa, 1st innings: 99-4 in 48 overs (Sumiran Amonkar 41, Amogh Desai 41, Utkarsh Singh 3-12)
