Punjab colts emerged winners of the Under 16 Vijay Merchant Trophy in the 2017-18 season with a six-wicket win over Uttar Pradesh in a low-scoring game at the Wankhede Stadium. While Yuvraj Choudhary’s four-wicket haul helped bowl out UP for 160, Jaskaranvir Singh Paul’s 222-ball 84 helped Punjab to a first innings lead.
Anurag Watts (4/25), who had played a critical knock to help take a narrow lead, returned to help skittle out UP for 140 in the second innings. Choudhary then led Punjab’s 112-run chase with an unbeaten half-century.
Earlier, UP elected to bat in the final, but Ayush Goyal rattled Divyansh Joshi’s stumps to leave the team on 12 for one. And while Pannu followed up with the wicket of Aanjaneya Suryavanshi, the bowler accounted for Sameer Rizvi to leave the team tottering at 17 for three. Ansh Yadav, who then came to the crease stitched a 34-run stand with Ashish Chaudhary until the latter was bowled by Watts. Another 34 runs later, Choudhary removed Sumit Rathore to leave UP on 85 for five. A while later, he bowled Aaradhya Yadav and 13 runs later ended Ansh’s resistance to leave UP struggling on 115 for seven. Kritik Gosain and Anshul Negi then followed up with a wicket each while Choudhary wrapped up the innings with the wicket of Suryakant Chauhan.
UP pacer Aaqib Khan then dealt a couple of early blows – claimed both Punjab openers - leaving the side on 14 for two. Jaskaranvir then took the team to stumps on Day 1 with Ayush Goyal.
Resuming the innings on 15 for two, the top-order bat dug in his heels to keep the innings in the fray even as wickets fell at the other end. Goyal was sent back by Joshi for the addition of five runs to the overnight score while Aaqib claimed Choudhary and Ridham Satyavan. And with Chauhan castling Gagan Verma, Punjab were wobbling on 55 for six in the first session. The No 3 bat, who had battled it out at the other end, saw Punjab through to Lunch with Anshul Negi at 86 for six. He continued to patiently chip away at the bowling in an effort to pull off a first innings lead even as Aaqib and Co struck at the other end. The pacer claimed Negi and Pannu in the second session to leave Punjab on 90 for eight. Jaskaranvir then found an able partner in Wattts. The lower-order bat accelerated the strike rate and helped the top-order bat take the team to a first innings lead. With the team on 181, Jaskaranvir was trapped lbw by Damandeep Singh and eight runs later, Joshi accounted for Watts to bowl Punjab out for 189 having conceded a 29-run lead.
Jashan Pannu (3/22) then claimed the top three UP batsmen to leave the side reeling at 12 for three. Rizvi and Ansh then took the team to Stumps at 40 for three at the end of Day 2. The pair continued their effort to rebuild the innings into the third day until their partnership was ended for 82 by Negi. The bowler ended Rizvi’s 80-run 130-ball knock to leave UP on 94 for four. Watts and Choudhary then ran through the rest of the line-up to bowl the side out for 140.
Chasing a modest 112-run target, Aditya Pratap Singh and Harnoor Singh Pannu put together 31 runs until the latter was trapped lbw by Damandeep. In the next over without a run added to the scorecard, Chauhan claimed two to push Punjab on the back-foot. 16 runs later, Aaqib sent back Jaskarnvir to leave the team on 47 for four.
However, Negi and Choudhary then joined hands to keep the innings in the reckoning. The pair saw the team through to end of day’s play at 76 for four and resumed to take the team to the finish line on the fourth day. They were involved in a 65-run unbroken partnership as they took Punjab to victory.
Scorecard 
