PANAJI
In a stunning display that set the tone for Goa’s Ranji Trophy campaign, debutant Abhinav Tejrana and all-rounder Lalit Yadav scripted a masterpiece on Thursday at Porvorim.
Their monstrous fourth-wicket partnership of 309 runs, featuring breathtaking double centuries from both batsmen, left Chandigarh scrambling to find answers on a placid pitch in the Elite Group B clash.
Tejrana, a 24-year-old southpaw, announced his arrival with authority by becoming the first batsman ever to score a double century on first-class debut for Goa. His 205-run innings was a blend of patience and power, laced with 21 fours and 4 sixes, from 320 balls.
The milestone placed him among a select group of just 13 players to achieve a debut double hundred in Ranji history. He joins illustrious names such as Gundappa Viswanath and Amol Muzumdar.
Not to be outdone, seasoned all-rounder Lalit Yadav -- who has switched from Delhi to Goa as a professional player this season -- went beyond his previous highest of 177 to craft an unbeaten 213.
Their partnership not only made up nearly three-quarters of Goa’s total but also came just a run short of the team’s all-time fourth-wicket record. The record of 310 runs is held by Rahul Keni and former India wicketkeeper-batsman Ajay Ratra, set against Tripura in the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy season.
The remarkable double-double by Tejrana and Yadav is made even more extraordinary by the rarity of two batsmen from the same team scoring double centuries on the same day in a first-class match.
