Post News Network
Cuttack, April 4: That cricket can be a cruel leveller was proved once more Saturday as Orissa went down to Hyderabad by five wickets in a Group B T20 match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the DRIEMS Ground, near here.
Suryakant Pradhan had emerged hero in Orissa’s stunning victory Friday over Punjab by scoring 22 runs in only eight balls. However, he became a ‘villain’ Saturday while bowling the 20th over of the Hyderabad innings. When he came on to ball, Hyderabad, chasing Orissa’s 153 all out in 19.1 overs still needed 17 runs for victory. However, Suryakant’s first two balls were hit for huge sixes by Akash Bhandari (30 n o, 17b, 2×4, 3×6) and with those ended Orissa’s hopes of qualifying for the final.
In fact, Hyderabad needed 32 in the last 12 balls. The 19th over was bowled by Biplab Samantray and Bhandari also hit him for a six and four to take 15 runs from the over. It was power hitting at its best.
But then Orissa seniors will have to take the blame for the loss. Imagine keeping Shesdeep Patra in the team and not giving him a single over. The left-arm spinner prior to this game had nine wickets from three matches including a five-wicket haul. Coach Debashis Mohanty said after the match, “Since Hyderabad had many left-handers we did not use Shesdeep.” As if left-arm spinners never bowl to left-handed batsmen.
Orissa also committed the cardinal sin of not batting their full quota of 20 overs. They were bowled out in 19.1 overs. Had they batted those five more balls – who knows, a few more runs could have been accrued – the margin between victory and defeat.
Quite a few Orissa batsmen got starts only to throw their wickets away. At one stage with Biplab (33, 19b, 2×4, 2×6) a score in the vicinity of 175 looked distinctly possible. But they ended up being dismissed for just over 150 – a par score at the DRIEMS Ground.
With their second loss in the group, Orissa’s chances of finishing at the top evaporated and with it their chances to play in the final.
(At DRIEMS Ground): Orissa 153 in 19.1 overs (Biplab Samantray 33) lost to Hyderabad 154 for five in 19.1 over (Tanmay Agarwal 49, Akash Bhandari 37 n o) by five wickets.
(At DRIEMS Ground): Mumbai 154 for four (Jay Bista 81) beat Rajasthan 121 in 18 overs (Javed Khan 3/15) by 33 runs.
(At KIIT Stadium): Madhya Pradesh 149 for four (Zafar Ali 70) lost to Gujarat 152 for five in 18.5 overs (Priyank Panchal 60) by five wickets.
