PANAJI
Two names are trending in Goan cricket at the start of the New Year. Aditya Suryawanshi and Manthan Khutkar feasted against a Kerala attack for a 209-run record opening stand in the ongoing Cooch Behar Trophy U-19 2017-18 clash in Porvorim that concludes on Friday.
The pair, both studying in FY BCom at Damodar College, Margao, have been instrumental in the home side almost certainly securing their first points in competition with a first innings lead of 96. Suryawanshi with a daddy hundred of 180 (342b, 26x4, 3x6), and his other opening half, Khutkar playing a pivotal part with 81 (248b, 10x4).
Circumstances rather than individual choices changed both these young cricketers' early thoughts on what to be in their formative years. It was destiny that willed Suryawanshi to be a wicket-keeper batsman. Given a choice he would rather have been a fast bowler and that was pretty much on his mind when he attended his first camp at MCC, Margao under the tutelage of Vinod Dhamaskar while in Std VIII. But given the need of a wicket-keeper and his sublime fielding skills on view in training, Suryawanshi was moulded into a wicket-keeper who was an able batsman.
Meanwhile, Khutkar at around 10 years enrolled under SAG, Fatorda coach Sandeep Naik to follow his love for the game. Little did he realise that an all-rounder who bowled with decent pace until the U-12 level, he would give up bowling altogether to switch to an opener's role two years on. His first coach incidentally influenced this decision as Khutkar had given strong indication on his ability to drive the ball very well, a quality meriting a batsman at the top. Before his heroics against Kerala, Suryawanshi found the going tough early in 2017-18 season at the Cooch Behar Trophy U-19. Coming in the middle-order mainly at No 6, he began with scores of 25 and 10 v Team Rajasthan at home, went to Lahli next to perish early on 5 and 10 against Haryana, to be subsequently dropped for the Maharashtra game in Pune.
"I never felt that my past was that bad. I kept my focus on the game and looked at my next opportunity," Suryawanshi said. After sitting out a match, he returned for the away game against Bengal but failed again with scores of 14 and 11.
With Goa returning to play home against Baroda, he was switched to open along with regular opener Khutkar and did reasonably well in the first innings until falling for 32 after forging an opening 52-run stand. Next knock though, he disappointed with 15 but gave every reason to be persisted at the top, a position he is not unfamiliar with. Come the game against Kerala, he gave an account that he has the ability to score big. "I would like to be consistent and make the grade to Ranji cricket next season," the Margao-based cricketer revealed.
On the other hand, Sanguem-based Khutkar, ran up scores of 47 and 26 (v Team Rajasthan), 21 & 54 (v Haryana), 32 and 32 (v Maharashtra), 0 and 14 (v Bengal), 44 and 35 (v Baroda), a sequence of starts that reveals potential flattering to perform. But come the Kerala game at home, he says the 81 would be one of his better knocks at the U-19 level for Goa.
"I have been getting starts of 30s and 40s but been able to convert. Once I got a start in this game (v Kerala), I wanted to make a hundred like my fellow opener did but sadly I could not. Rather than brood over the past, I look to focus on the present," the articulate opener stated.
For the 19-year-old Suryawanshi, his recent 180 by far is his highest individual score across age group levels. At the Vijay Merchant Trophy U-16 (South Zone) in Mysuru in 2015-16 he stacked 250 runs from nine innings with 48 against Tamil Nadu as top score. Last season, at the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana, Mumbai, he struck 75 against Mumbai in the Cooch Behar U-19. He also reminisced fondly on a 115 from 30 balls scored in a local open tournament in Sanvordem, two years ago.
The level-headed 18-year-old Khutkar all through his career had knocks which served promise but stayed as much as that. A look at his age-group performances is telling. At the U-14s, he played a year and could only manage 20s and 30s. Moving to the Vijay Merchant Trophy U-16 in Chennai, he scored 720 runs but ran up scores in 30s and 40s. Last season at the Cooch Behar Trophy U-19, he was given two opportunities but could not play to potential and was dropped. But Khatkar being the headstrong young lad that he is looks at bettering his game by the passing day. While he looks forward to playing the Ranji Trophy, he is not unduly worried when the chance may come. Until then, he wants to stay focused, improve technically on his game and play as many matches as he can.
