India ‘B’ registered a 32-run victory against Vijay Hazare Trophy 2016-17 winners, Tamil Nadu in Vizag. Having won both their matches of the league phase, the Parthiv Patel-led team booked a place for themselves in the Prof. DB Deodhar Trophy 2016-17 final. Manish Pandey helped shape the India ‘B’ innings with a 104-run knock to set the opposition a 317-run target after Parthiv opted to bat. TN opener, Kaushik Gandhi’s 134-ball 124 went in vain as the Dhawal Kulkarni-led attack bowled the side out for 284.
Kulkarni and Axar Patel claimed three wickets each while Kulwant Khejroliya and CV Milind picked two wickets apiece to help the side to their second successive win.
Earlier, M Mohammed claimed skipper Parthiv for 11 to give TN their first breakthrough. However, Pandey joined Shikhar Dhawan in building a platform for a formidable total. The pair took the team to the three-figure mark with a 86-run stand until the opener was bowled by R Sai Kishore for 50. In his next over, the bowler castled Govind Poddar to leave the team on 110 for three. 28 runs later, Ishank Jaggi was the next to be sent back by W Antony Dhas.
Pandey then found an able ally in Axar Patel to shift the momentum back in India ‘B’s favour. The duo added 98 runs for the fifth wicket until the lower middle-order bat was sent back by Sai Kishore. 23 runs later the left-arm spinner claimed Pandey to complete a four-for and leave the side on 259 for six. The lower-order then added valuable runs at a brisk pace to take the team past the 300-run mark and set TN a stiff target. A Karnerwar was unbeaten on 28 off 25 as he took his side to 316 for eight until the end of the innings.
Gandhi then anchored the chase with a determined century. After Kulkarni dismissed GS Raju, N Jagadeeshan joined forces with the opener to set up the chase for TN with a 114-run partnership. The flourishing stand was ended by Axar, who dismantled the No 3 bat’s woodwork to keep his side in the game. 39 runs later he accounted for Dinesh Karthik while Khejroliya accounted for Vijay Shankar 59 runs later. The India ‘B’ bowlers then continued to strike at regular intervals while the opener stoically held up one end. The left arm pacer then followed up with the wicket of MS Washinton Sundar in his next while M Mohammed was sent back by Axar to leave the side on 259 for six.
Kulkarni then picked the wicket of Baba Indrajith for one while Gandhi’s resistance was ended in the 47th over by Milind to leave TN on 277 for eight. In the next two overs, Kulkarni and Milind claimed a wicket each to bowl TN out with eight balls to spare.
