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Cricket
India A clinches series
By K.C. Vijaya Kumar
India A's Ajit Agarkar celebrates with his teammates after dismissing Shiv Sunder Das of India Seniors in the Hero Honda N.K.P. Salve Trophy Challenger Series final on Sunday. - Photo: K. Gopinathan
BANGALORE, JAN. 13. The form book held firm while a Sunday script went awry. India A was consistent but India Seniors streaked with Sehwag's brilliance was expected to romp home. But it was a day which cracked reputations as India A clinched the N.K.P. Salve Trophy for the Hero Honda Challenger series.
India A scripted an eight-wicket victory against the Seniors in the final at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday. Earlier, the Seniors were boxed into a corner with 154 in 35.5 overs. Hemang Badani (52 n.o.) was last man standing while his batting colleagues suffered unexpected weekend blues.
The India A chase was devoid of road-blocks and credit goes to openers - Daniel Manohar (25) and Sangram Singh (75). They are wayfarers in the domestic circuit with Manohar toiling for Hyderabad while Sangram dons the Himachal Pradesh cap. The duo's moments under floodlights etched an 80-run association and helped skipper Laxman cradle the trophy.
Sangram loves the hard-hit while Daniel prefers to get his eye in. And on a day where Sourav Ganguly's men nursed slumped shoulders, the openers' undivided stint for 17.4 overs drew the curtains fast. Sangram had easy pickings in a Ganguly over - 14 runs - with a freehit landing in the members stand. At the other end southpaw Daniel punched back Harbhajan straight for four.
The openers succumbed to enthusiastic shots against Harbhajan. Sangram holed to long-on while a Daniel scoop forced Yohannan running back from mid-on, side-step Iqbal Siddiqui while latching onto the ball.
The final rites had finesse as Laxman melded twinkling feet and supple wrists while his partner in the homestretch was a shaky Rohan Gavaskar. However Rohan nursed a relieved smile carting Harbhajan and Joshi over the in-field as India A raced to the victor's podium in 32 overs.
The afternoon session was a tale of runs and ruins with Hemang Badani standing tall. His unbeaten 52 propped up India Seniors after Sourav Ganguly's decision to bat unspooled in disaster. Ganguly demoted himself down the order but yet walked in early as Das, Jacob Martin and Virendra Sehwag were gone by the eighth over. Sehwag, after a few rousing shots, was caught hopping to a Zaheer snorter.
Ganguly had an easy start as rival skipper Laxman pressed Sarandeep Singh and Daniel Manohar's gentle seamers into the attack. He left a brief reminder note of his `God outside off-stump' label, cutting Manohar for four past a cramped off- side field. However hopes of runs turned into a mirage as he attempted a premature single and found Ratra collect Yuveraj's throw and whip the bails. And Badani was peering at 62 for four from the non-striker's end.
The Tamil Nadu southpaw however, remained positive (52 n.o., 53b, 4x4, 1x6) and a few drives at left-arm spinner Murali Kartik's expense proved the lone sunny moments for the Seniors' camp. Badani and Joshi hoisted Sarandeep's teasers into the stands but the salvage-operation faded out. Joshi became another runout victim and the tail caved in leaving the Seniors' hoping for a miracle.
Ajit Agarkar gave enough hints on the reasons behind the Indian team management's faith in him despite lukewarm performances at the International level. He bowled well within himself, aiming at swing rather than pace.
The Chinnaswamy Stadium wicket's recent greenish tinge has egged fast bowlers to bend their backs resulting in excess wides and no-balls, but the wiry Mumbaikar proved an exception and an outswinger that held its line accounted for Das early on.
At the dinner break, India A's pursuit was on a steady course with openers Daniel Manohar and Sangram Singh remaining together with 19 runs from 6 overs.
The awardees: Sarandeep Singh - player of the series; Hemang Badani - best batsman; Agarkar - best bowler; and Yuveraj Singh - best fielder.
The scores. India Seniors: S.S. Das c Ajay Ratra b A. Agarkar 4, Deep Dasgupta b Daniel Manohar 12, Jacob Martin c Sarandeep Singh b Agarkar 1, Virendra Sehwag c Ajay Ratra b Zaheer Khan 22, Sourav Ganguly (run out) 22, Hemang Badani (not out) 52, Sanjay Bangar lbw b Sarandeep 0, Sunil Joshi (run out) 16, Harbhajan Singh lbw b Murali Kartik 4, Iqbal Siddiqui c Ratra b M. Kartik 4, Tinu Yohannan lbw b M. Karthik 0. Extras (b-4, lb- 7, nb-2, w-4) 17. Total: 154 in 35.5 overs.
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-6, 3-38, 4-62, 5-81, 6-82, 7-116, 8-142, 9-154.
India A bowling: Ajit Agarkar 8-0-30-2, Zaheer Khan 8-2-27-1, Sarandeep Singh 8-1-28-1, Daniel Manohar 7- 0-30-1, Murali Kartik 4.5-0-28-3.
India A: Daniel Manohar c S. Johi b Harbhajan Singh 25, Sangram Singh c Tinu Yohannan b Harbhajan Singh 75 (116m, 78b, 11x4, 1x6), V.V.S. Laxman (not out) 29, Rohan Gavaskar (not out) 18. Extras (b-4, w-6) 10. Total: 157 for two in 32 overs.
Fall of wickets: 1-80, 2-126.
India Seniors bowling: Tinu Yohannan 8-1-31-0, Iqbal Siddiqui 1-0-12-0, Sanjay Bangar 4-0-22-0, Harbhajan Singh 9-1-30-2, Sourav Ganguly 2-0-19-0, Sunil Joshi 8- 1-39-0.
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