Rajasthan has all but confirmed its spot in the quarterfinals after a six-wicket win over Madhya Pradesh (MP) in the Group ‘A’ fixture of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday.
Rajasthan chased down 140 with 22 balls remaining to register its fifth win in as many games, while MP lost its first match of the tournament.
Abhijeet Tomar led the run-chase with his attacking 66* and was supported by the others as Rajasthan’s batters took advantage of the better batting conditions, unlike MP, which batted when the pitch was slow.
Bharat Sharma gave a solid start at the top, hitting 25 off 15 with the help of two sixes and three fours, followed by Deepak Hooda, who cleared the rope twice. Both fell to Kumar Kartikeya, trying to go for big hits.
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Tomar, from the other end, was strong on his back foot but also quick to come down the track to target each bowler. He hit five sixes during his knock and finished the game with a punch over mid-on for four.
Earlier, Rajasthan won a crucial toss in cool conditions and sent Madhya Pradesh to bat. Aniket Choudhary drew first blood as Arpit Gaud chipped straight to mid-off after the ball stopped before him. Two overs later, Manav Suthar cleaned up Subhranshu Senapati with his first ball.
Rajasthan’s players celebrate a wicket of Madhya Pradesh during their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Soneji/The Hindu
Rajasthan’s players celebrate a wicket of Madhya Pradesh during their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Soneji/The Hindu
Suthar was the pick of the lot, bowling a miserly spell of two for 17, which included the prized wicket of Rajat Patidar. The left-arm spinner was hard to hit with his dipping deliveries, forcing the batters to reach for him. From the other end, Rahul Chahar kept bowling defensive lines with his quick leg-spinners, as the batters struggled to time the ball.
Rajasthan controlled the scoring rate, not only with the ball but also with proactive fielding, which prevented the batters from sneaking in doubles or taking quick singles.
For MP, Harpreet Singh Bhatia took responsibility of batting deep. His 36-ball 41 included only two sixes — one he hit against Rahul first and another off Aniket later in the innings. However, with wickets falling constantly, Madhya Pradesh could only reach 139/8.