Mongia grinds Orissa attack to dust

By Our Special Correspondent

VADODARA, APRIL 5. Nayan Mongia is a responsible man, whatever impressions others may have about him in Indian cricket. The former India wicket-keeper celebrated his promotion to the number three slot in the Baroda batting order with a composed, chanceless 137 not out, stretching over 244 balls and laced with 19 sweetly-timed fours and one soaring six. The home team took the first step towards gaining a stranglehold over the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Orissa by compiling 319-2 at stumps on the opening day of the five-day tie.

Walking to the crease wearing the now-famous yellow helmet at the fall of opener Conner Williams' wicket at 54 (10.1 overs), Mongia took his time to have a close look at the Orissa bowling and the nature of the wicket at the Gujarat State Fertilizers Corporation ground, before grinding the attack to dust by stumps on the first day. It was an innings of substance, an innings of patience in which the most experienced campaigner in the Baroda camp displayed the concentration and technique at his command. He is still going strong at 137, his second Ranji century of this season and the Orissa bowlers are in for a sleepless night after a day of toil amidst the heat.

Skipper Jacob Martin is the other batsman at the crease, another stayer who can destroy the bowling on his day. He is unbeaten on 70 (144b, 10x4) and will be looking to make up for the hit-and- miss innings played on the first day, in comparison to his partner's classy knock against an attack which appears to lack the bite, at first glance, Debasis Mohanty being the exception.

Martin opted to bat after winning the toss, no doubt aware of the nature of the new wicket prepared for this tie and looking to exploit the presence of left-arm spinner Valmik Buch in the later stages of the Ranji semifinal.

Openers Williams and Satyajit Parab batted without alarms, in fact the only worry in the Baroda camp at the start was the batsmen's willingness to go for their strokes before judging the quality of Orissa's bowling, an unknown quantity except for dangerman Mohanty. Williams continued from where he left off against Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals, driving effortlessly against the other medium-pacer Ajay Barik, two straight-drives and the third to the cover fence signs of a batsman confident on home turf.

Parab looked the batsman to fall, first an edge falling short of a diving Sanjay Raul at second slip off Mohanty, then a slash off Barik with the team score 44 without loss, spilled by Sanjay Satpathy at point, the fielder grabbing at the ball. Eventually Mohanty got rid of Williams, inducing him to chase a delivery into the gloves of wicket-keeper Goutam Gopal.

Mongia stepped in at number three, Baroda expecting a substantial contribution from its most experienced batsman who has a century against Australia against his name coming high up the Indian batting order. The wicket-keeper, promoted from the number six slot in the quarterfinals, began watchfully before stepping out to caress the ball through mid-off twice off new bowler Pravaranjan Mullick, then began using his feet to tackle off- spinner Satpathy, introduced in the 15th over of the morning and left-arm spinner Jagannath Das.

His presence had a sobering effect on teammate Parab, the two taking Baroda's score past the 100-mark, forcing Orissa skipper Shiv Sundar Das to bring back Mohanty into the attack in the 30th over, even as he grappled with an unexpected problem when Das was called twice for throwing by square leg umpire V.K. Ramaswamy, in his second and third over.

Baroda began consolidating their position in the post- lunch session, Mongia quietened down, punishing only the loose balls but kept running singles despite the heat, the second wicket stand yielding 100 runs off 180 deliveries, both batsmen getting past the half-century mark. Parab hit six fours while the more assertive Mongia had already hit eight boundaries by then.

Orissa's efforts for a breakthrough finally paid off, opener Parab stepping out to off-spinner Satpathy, the ball spinning across the blade for wicket-keeper Gopal to whip off the bails on the second attempt. Skipper Martin began with a carpet drive to the cover fence off the very first ball he faced, looking determined to execute Baroda's plan of amassing a huge first innings total in the company of Mongia, who messed up off- spinner Satpathy's length with the sweep shot, one soaring six over mid-wicket followed by another aerial shot over the fielder stationed for the stroke.

Martin flicked Satpathy off his hips to the mid-wicket fence, bisecting two fielders as Orissa's ordeal in the furnace- like heat continued. Baroda bounded to raise 200 in 51 overs. Mongia suffered the nervous nineties at this stage, after jumping from 87 to 91 with a stunning cover drive on bended knee, the best stroke of the match so far, as the Baroda skipper took on the task of run-making against a tired attack.

Martin played and missed a few, even as his partner inched towards the magic three-figure mark, eventually flicking to square leg to reach it. The heat took its toll on even Mohanty, as the two batsmen at the crease put on 150 runs for the third wicket (262b, 172m).

The only point of interest in the closing stages of the first day was the re-introduction of `suspect' Das into the attack in the 72nd over. The Orissa left-arm spinner passed the Ramaswamy test this time, but could make no impression on the two batsmen, forcing skipper S.S. Das to try out as many as eight bowlers, including himself.

The scores:

Baroda - 1st innings: Satyajit Parab st Gopal b S. Satpathy 60, Conner Williams c Gopal b D. Mohanty 35, Nayan Mongia (batting) 137, Jacob Martin (batting) 70. Extras (b- 4, lb-2, w-6, nb-5) 17. Total 319 for two wickets (90 overs).

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-165.

Orissa bowling: D. Mohanty 18-4-49-1, A. Barik 13-0-69-0, P. Mullick 9-5-29-0, S. Satpathy 24-4-82-1, J. Das 6-2-23-0, S. Raul 12-1-41-0, P. Jayachandra 5-1-16-0, S.S. Das 2-0-4-0.

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