Mumbai, Mar 27: Baroda beat Harbhajan Singh’s Punjab team by seven runs at the Brabourne Stadium to lift the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here. Fielding a full-strength side including the likes of Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan and Munaf Patel, Baroda successfully defended 149 runs to win the match and trophy.
Aditya Waghmode, who had played the anchor as Baroda coasted to victory against Delhi yesterday, was sent back by VRV Singh off the third ball of the innings. This after Baroda opted to bat first after winning the toss. Soon afterwards, Baroda lost Kedar Devhdhar and Ambati Rayudu, who had played match-winning knocks in the semi-final and quarter-final respectively, off consecutive deliveries. At 24 for three, the going was tough for the batting side.
Monil Patel and Yusuf Pathan then stitched a 29-run partnership before the opener was dismissed by Manpreet Gony for 17. As the batsmen looked to accelerate, Yusuf was caught at the long-on boundary by Amitoz off Bipul Sharma bringing to the crease his younger brother. Back in the side for the final, Irfan scored at a quick pace with skipper Pinal Sharma to help Baroda post a competitive total. Shah, who had hit Rahul Sharma for a boundary to bring up Baroda’s 50, also lofted Harbhajan Singh into the stands in the penultimate over which yielded 12 runs.
In the last over, the batsmen took the aerial route against Gony. Although he was dropped once, Bipul took a diving catch off the next ball at long-on to send the Baroda captain back for 39. He had till then added 49 runs for the sixth wicket with Irfan. Though they lost a wicket in the last over, Baroda collected 12 runs off it too. Irfan, who remained unbeaten on 36, hit a six over the bowler’s head to take Baroda to 149 for the loss of six wickets.
Irfan then came out to bowl and claimed the key wicket of Chandan Madan off the fourth ball of the innings. Chandan, who had played a match-winning knock against Mumbai in the semi-final, nicked the left-arm to the wicketkeeper. In the next over, Munaf Patel followed up with the wicket of Sarul Kanwar. Gurkirat, who was yet to open his account, was then dropped by Yusuf in the slips off Irfan. He went on to add 43 runs for the third wicket with Mandeep Singh before Swapnil Singh rattled his stumps. A few overs later, Bipul Sharma, who had replaced him at the crease, survived a run out attempt. A ball later, Mandeep Singh was caught by Munaf off Yusuf to give Baroda their fourth wicket. In his 31-ball stay at the crease, Mandeep scored 40 and was the only Punjab batsman till then to have struck a six.
Amitoz, who joined Bipul at the crease with 70 required off 47, took on the bowlers with fours and sixes. With Amitoz on a roll, and Punjab requiring 39 off the last five overs, Shah handed the ball to Irfan who still had two overs left. But it was Munaf Patel who claimed the dangerous Amitoz Singh in the next over.
Amitoz’s departure brought in another hard-hitter, Harbhajan Singh, out in the middle. With 28 required off 18 balls, the Punjab skipper hit Murtuza for a six over long-on followed by a boundary while collecting 13 runs off the over.
In the next over, Irfan Pathan’s last, Harbhajan was run out by Irfan himself. A couple of deliveries later, Irfan dismissed Taruwar Kohli to keep his team’s hopes alive.
With 11 required off six balls, Vohara came in to bowl. The paceman sent back Bipul Sharma (41, 3x4) off the first delivery of the over, and then conceded only two runs, to help Baroda win the match and tournament.
Brief scores: Baroda 149/6 in 20 overs (P Shah 39, I Pathan 36*, B Sharma 2/15, M Gony 2/21) beat Punjab 141/8 in 20 overs (B Sharma 41, M Singh 40, I Pathan 2/24, M Patel 21/2, Vohara 1/34) by 7 runs.
Player-of-the-Match: Irfan Pathan, for an all-round performance; an unbeaten 36, two wickets for 24 runs, and a crucial run out.
