North Zone lifts Deodhar Trophy

By Our Sports Reporter

PUNE, JAN. 31. It was not a contest that went to the wire, but the individual performances were enough to enthrall the crowd.

Captain Vikram Rathour's sparkling ton (106) pushed to the background a century by South Zone left-hander S. Sharath (104), as North Zone scored a facile seven-wicket victory with 5.2 overs to spare, emerging the Deodhar Trophy champion at the Nehru Stadium here on Monday.

In what was the virtual final of the premier and the oldest one- day tournament of the country, North ensured its eighth title- win, the third in the current round-robin format. North thus made it a memorable double, having taken home the Duleep Trophy earlier this season.

A crowd of over 5,000 thronged the venue here to see Mohammad Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja, but was left admiring Sharath and Rathour instead, though Jadeja, too, managed a half- century.

The importance of the toss was apparent in the contrasting starts. Unlike South, North blazed away from the very beginning on a turf that played better as the day progressed, achieving the target of 279 with ease.

Rathour's lazy elegance produced a superb knock, his characteristic shots off the leg and square of the wicket on the off supplemented by some more daring lofted shots over mid off and cover.

The Punjab opener consumed just 87 deliveries and hit 19 boundaries, including four consecutive ones off seamer N.P. Singh. Rathour showed no mercy to any one, including his former Punjab state-mate and brother-in-law Aashish Kapoor, whom he hit for three boundaries in one over. Rathour was finally out, caught at point, off Hemang Badani's first ball.

Rathour's partner Ashu Dani, too, showed fine nick in his 40, which came with the help of four fours and a huge straight six off medium-pacer Sadagopan Mahesh. He was caught at long-off in trying another six off the same bowler.

North emerging a runaway winner was on the cards from very early, as the openers plundered 86 runs in the first 10 overs and the three-figure mark was touched in 14. The stand was worth a decisive 136 in just 19.1 overs.

After the dismissal of Dani, Jadeja came in, took his time settling down with Rathour still around, and then plundered the bowling in the company of Pankaj Dharmani. Rather than many big hits, Jadeja resorted to deft placements till later in the innings, while Dharmani, with two double-centuries in the Ranji league behind him, slid in smoothly too.

For South, the resurrection act was done by Sharath, helped by Sadagopan Mahesh, whose lusty hitting made up for the slothfulness of the earlier batsmen.

The Tamil Nadu pair put on 93 runs off 78 balls for the fifth wicket, after seamer Amit Bhandari's three wickets had pulled South down.

A six by Mahesh to off-spinner Sarandeep Singh over long off started the run flow, the all-rounder following it up with three more - a straight one and one over long-on off consecutive balls from Sarandeep, the second off the back foot, and then another one over long on off left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi, who went for 43 runs in four overs.

Mahesh was tied down and then bowled for 48 (44 balls) by off- spinner Virender Sehwag, who surprisingly was taken off after four overs, only to be re-introduced again in place of Sarandeep when the latter went for some stick.

Sharath continued undaunted, his resolute knock coming despite wickets falling at the other end. The Delhi seaming duo of Robin Singh and Bhandari had done what North needed to do after winning the toss, Bhandari bagging the wickets even as his partner bowled tight with the new ball. Bhandari had Arun Kumar caught at point, Reuben Paul caught at cover and Mohammad Azharuddin at slip, the batsmen not showing enough discretion.

But Sharath dug in, playing some lovely shots on either side of the wicket, in what was a good blend of caution and aggression. He got his 50 in 83 balls, and increased the pace later. Sharath faced 123 deliveries in which he hit six fours and five sixes, getting to his 100 with a six over long on off Bhandari. He had earlier lifted Sanghvi twice and Sarandeep and Ajay Jadeja once each, over the ropes.

With Dodda Ganesh chipping in with 27 off 20 balls, South had reached a total which had looked unlikely midway into the innings. Sharath, who got his second century of the tournament, was finally run out, in the last over.

The scores:

South Zone: J. Arun Kumar c Manhas b Bhandari 14, Reuben Paul c Dharmani b Bhandari 15, S. Sriram c Jadeja b Sarandeep 12, Mohammad Azharuddin c Rathour b Bhandari 5, S. Sharath (run out) 104, Hemang Badani c Sarandeep b Jadeja 8, Sadagopan Mahesh b Sehwag 48, Aashish Kapoor c Dahiya b Jadeja 12, Dodda Ganesh (not out) 27, T. Kumaran (not out) 0, Extras (lb-7, nb-1, w-25) 33. Total (for eight wickets in 50 overs) 278.

Fall of wickets : 1-35, 2-40, 3-52, 4-63, 5-76, 6-169, 7-200, 8- 274.

North Zone bowling: Amit Bhandari 10-2- 56-3, Robin Singh 10-0-40-0, Ajay Jadeja 10-1-35-2, Sarandeep Singh 10-0-58-1, Rahul Sanghvi 4-0-43-0, Virender Sehwag 6-0-39- 1.

North Zone: Ashu Dani c Singh b Mahesh 40, Vikram Rathour c Azharuddin b Badani 106, Ajay Jadeja (not out) 60, Pankaj Dharmani b Kumaran 36, Virender Sehwag (not out) 11, Extras (nb- 16, w-10) 26. Total (for three wickets in 44.4 overs) 279.

Fall of wickets : 1-136, 2-182, 3-266.

South Zone bowling: Dodda Ganesh 8.4-0- 45-0, T. Kumaran 10-0-59- 1, N. P. Singh 7-0-58-0, S. Mahesh 10-0- 57-1, Aashish Kapoor 3-0-25-0, Hemang Badani 5-0-26-1, S. Sriram 1-0-9-0.

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