Deodhar Trophy: Jadhav, Nadeem shine as clinical India B lift title
A defining 86 by Kedar Jadhav and Shahbaz Nadeem’s inspiring four-wicket haul helped India B beat India C by 51 runs in the Deodhar Trophy final at Ranchi. Yashasvi Jaiswal too chipped in with a crucial half-century while pacer Mohammed Siraj supported with a couple of wickets.
Brief scores: India B 283 for 7 (Jadhav 86, Jaiswal 54, Vijay Shankar 45, Gowtham 35*, Porel 5-43) beat India C 232 for 9 (Garg 74, Axar 38, Saxena 37*, Nadeem 4-32, Siraj 2-43) by 51 runs
Porel five-for in vain
Opting to bat first on a competitive pitch at the JSCA Stadium, India B got off to the worst of starts. India C fast bowler Ishan Porel removed opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (0) in the first over of the match. It didn’t take him too long to send the other opener packing. Skipper Parthiv Patel (14) once again threw his wicket cheaply, this time by nicking one to the keeper. But it was the 17-year-old Yashasvi Jaiswal who took the onus on himself and scored a brisk 54 (5 fours, 1 six) to settle the jitters. Baba Aparajith kept him company but Jalaj Saxena trapped him in front with a low full-toss in the 21st over.
Veteran batsman Kedar Jadhav then joined Jaiswal, and the duo together stitched a much-needed stand to stabilise the innings. The latter fell in the 25th over but Jadhav kept the momentum going with his swift strokes. Alongside Nitish Rana (20) and Vijay Shankar (45), he cooked up important partnerships to get his team to the 200-run mark. Porel returned to complete his five-wicket haul by dismissing Rana, Shankar and Jadhav but K Gowtham’s fiery 10-ball 35 ensured a strong finish for India B.
Congratulations Team INDIA B on winning the #DeodharTrophy for 2019-20 season ?? https://t.co/hygOyIX9wo
— BCCI (@BCCI) November 4, 2019
Nadeem casts his magic spell
Set a steep target of 284, all eyes were on India C’s reliable openers – Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill. However, Gill’s departure in the second over itself handed a huge blow to India C. Agarwal’s resurrection began immediately as Priyam Garg walked in to bat at No.3. While the former got out in the 12th over to Nadeem, a determined Garg went about business as usual. His 77-ball 74, including 8 fours and a six, was the sole knock standing strong as India C’s middle-order collapsed like a pack of cards.
The wily Nadeem struck at regular intervals, dismissing Suryakumar Yadav and Dinesh Karthik and at 77/5, India C were staring down the barrel. The contest then came alive with the lower middle-order’s handy contributions. Axar Patel scored a solid 38 but was run-out at the wrong time. Mayank Markande’s 27 complemented Saxena’s unbeaten 37. But a couple of run-outs and the persisting pressure from Nadeem and Siraj were enough for India C to choke. They eventually ended up falling 51 runs of India B’s total.
