The Hindu : Nayan Mongia's bat does the `talking'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 22, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

Nayan Mongia's bat does the `talking'
By Our Special Correspondent

PUNE, MARCH 21. It appeared that Nayan Mongia was like a tinderbox, ready to go off the moment the news of the selection of the Indian team in Mumbai was broken to him. Mongia did not take his exclusion from the West Indies bound team lightly; instead he regarded the decision of the selection committee to leave him out as an outrageous act. Obviously flustered and in a fuming mood, he showed his ire, yelling a most unpleasant word and banging his bat on the door.

Down on his luck again, Mongia all padded up - marked at No. 6 in the batting order - withdrew and allowed three more players lower in the order to proceed after the fall of the fourth, fifth and sixth wickets. There was plenty of action after he went into bat at No. 9, which eventually helped the home team set a formidable fourth innings target of 432 to win this Duleep Trophy second round match.

Things were going smooth for West - after it had gained a first innings lead of 158 runs - until half past one when the aspirants heard the news of the 16 picked by the selectors. Vijay Dahiya whistled and showed the thumbs up signal with both hands to Ashish Nehra. The left-arm seamer got the message that imminently evoked an inspired and effective spell from him. While Nehra went on a wicket taking spree, Mongia not able to accept the selectors verdict, lost his cool.

After he had West skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar chipping to substitute Sangram Singh at mid-wicket, Nehra sent the stumps flying with deadly deliveries. Century-maker in the first innings Sairaj Bahutule, Irfan Pathan (Jr) and Vinod Kambli, beaten comprehensively, saw the ball crash on the stumps. It was a sight to watch, really.

All this happened after Wasim Jaffer and Connor Williams opened up with a partnership of 68 before the latter hit back straight to left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi. Jaffer helped himself with a neat half century, caressing the ball to the fence on as many as nine occasions.

From 116 for two, West's innings dipped to 162 for six wickets, Nehra bowling with supreme confidence and confounding the batsmen. He was in a mood to skittle out West before Mongia arrived at the scene at 187 for seven. The former India wicketkeeper-batsman appeared to be a nervous wreck, colliding with Nehra on his follow-through and then running out Ramesh Powar. When Nehra broke through the defence of Kambli, West was 194 for nine.

Even as North believed that Nehra would wrap up the tail, Mongia - given extraordinary support by last man Avishkar Salvi - went hammer and tongs, struck Rahul Sanghvi for a six over extra cover, hooked Nehra for another boundary over long on and smashed 11 fours in an exhilarating stand of 79 runs for the unfinished 10th wicket when Kanitkar applied the second innings closure. The tall and wiry, Salvi faced 29 balls. His contribution was only four in the tenth wicket stand of 79, Mongia's aggressive knock supplying 72 runs.

West's declaration left North a four plus target in 102 overs. Openers Aakash Chopra and Vikram Rathour looked good while taking North to 54.

The scores:

West Zone - 1st innings: 396.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-67, 3-68, 4- 138, 5-138, 6-215, 7-270, 8-296, 9-380.

North Zone bowling: Sharma 19-5-78-1, Nehra 24.1-6-70-3, Sarandeep 37-8-129-2, Sanghvi 16-1-77-0, Manhas 14-4-31-3.

North Zone - Ist innings: A. Chopra lbw b I. Pathan (Jr) 24, V. Rathore c Jaffer b I. Pathan (Jr) 17, P. Dharmani c Mongia b Bahutule 26, M. Manhas c Bhoite b Salvi 12, S. Khan c Williams b Bahutule 27, Kawaljit Singh c Williams b Bahutule 9, V. Dahiya b Bahutule 0, Sarandeep Singh (not out) 72, R. Sanghvi b I. Pathan (Jr) 4, A. Nehra c Merchant b Bahutule 1, V. Sharma b I. Pathan (Jr) 2, Extras (b-12, lb-10, nb-21, w-1) 44. Total (in 63. 4 overs) 238.

Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-66, 3-89, 4-89, 5-132, 6-132, 7-154, 8-190, 9-233.

West Zone bowling: I. Pathan (Jr) 20.4-2-72-4, Salvi 13-4-45-1, Powar 8-1-24-0, Bahutule 19-5-56-5, Bhoite 3-0-19-0.

West Zone - 2nd innings: C. Williams c & b Sanghvi 29, W. Jaffer c Kawaljit b Sarandeep 58, H. Kanitkar c sub (Sangram) b Nehra 45, A. Merchant lbw b Sarandeep 12, A. Bhoite c Sanghvi b Manhas 10, S. Bahutule b Nehra 1, R. Powar (run out) 20, I. Pathan (Jr) b Nehra 7, N. Mongia (not out) 76, V. Kambli b Nehra 4, A. Salvi (not out) 4, Extras (b-1, lb-3, nb- 3) 7. Total (for nine wkts. decl.) 273.

Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-116, 3-132, 4- 149, 5-157, 6-162, 7-187, 8-188, 9-194.

North Zone bowling: Nehra 15-3-55-4, Sharma 11-4-34-0, Sarandeep 19-4-59-2, Sanghvi 12-0-77-1, Manhas 12-3-44-1.

North Zone - 2nd innings: A. Chopra (batting) 25, V. Rathour (batting) 26, Extras (nb-3) 3. Total

(for no loss in 12 overs) 51.

West Zone bowling: I. Pathan (Jr) 6-1-20-0, Salvi 5-1-24-0, Bahutule 1-0-10-0.

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