Vidarbha’s ‘professional’ triumph
| Date :20-Oct-2020 |
By Anupam Soni :
Badani, with broken thumb, and skipper Bahutule stand tall in Vid’s fighting win over HP
MANY a time, scoreboard and end result do not present the real picture. What looks to be an easy victory, turns out to be a hard-earned win. The physical pain endured by players while achieving glory too, is, not reflected on the sheet. Vidarbha’s two of the three professional players (all former India players), in their first ever season for the adopted side, displayed “true professionalism” to guide the team to an exciting three-wicket win in a Ranji Trophy match. Hemang Badani, playing with a broken thumb, and skipper Sairaj Bahutule stood tall stitching a 132-run partnership for the seventh wicket as Vidarbha, who were 110 for 6 at one stage, successfully chased a target of 254 on a green top in their Group A Plate League match against Himachal Pradesh at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala in November 2011.
The third professional — opener Shiv Sunder Das did not contribute much with the willow but his mere presence and advice was of much help to the players. There can never be two thoughts after winning the toss at Dharamsala. And Bahutule promptly invited the hosts to have first strike. Vidarbha seamer Sandeep Singh (4-50), who had missed the earlier games of the season and was making a comeback into the side, proved his worth. He exploited the favourable conditions and sent back both the Dogras— Hemant and Paras, in his fourth and fifth overs of the morning. Himachal’s professional player Sridharan Sriram was the third batsman to get out in single digit.
He was out lbw to Amol Junghade (5-67). Singh then had opener Abhinav Bali (52) out in the same fashion. Former Mumbai player Paul Valthaty, who was going hammer and tongs and had scored 31 from 29 balls with five fours and a six, perished going for a big shot. He was left-arm pacer Shrikant Wagh’s lone victim. Bahutule, being a Mumbaikar, knew about Valthaty’s style of play. He had a talk with Wagh and placed Akshay Kolhar right on the deep point boundary rope. And the trick worked. Himachal skipper Ajay Ratra, also a pro, did not last long and in the first session of play, the hosts were 6-116. In the second session, Varun Sharma made 43 and with small contributions from Vikramjeet Malik and Rishi Dhawan, the team made 195 in 58.1 overs.
“Sandeep Singh made a very good comeback into the side. Owing to injury and poor form he was dropped from the side for earlier matches. But the team management requested (read fought) for his inclusion in the side since the match was going to be played on a seaming track. And he proved us right with a nine-wicket show,” recalled the then Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani. Vidarbha openers Kolhar (13) and Das (19) started cautiously but by end of the first day, both were cooling their heels in the pavilion (40-2 in 12 overs). On the second day morning, the visitors could play only 25.5 overs and were shot out for 142 runs. Middle-order batsman Ranjit Paradkar top-scored with an attacking 25. He faced 32 balls and hit five fours.
India seamer Dhawan (5-60) and his new ball partner Malik (4-62) were the main wicket-takers. Singh (5-41) was right on the money to start off in HP’s second innings. In his second and team’s fourth over, he accounted for the Dogras once again. The score read 2-5. Bali (19) and Sriram (87) then steadied the innings. Singh again provided the breakthrough getting rid of Bali. Two wickets in two balls by Wagh rocked HP. The southpaw had Valthaty and on next ball had Ratra caught at the wicket by Aniruddha Chore. Sriram and Dhawan (37) added 58 runs for the seventh wicket but the team was bowled out for 200 in 50.1 overs. Vidarbha needed 254 runs and going by the events that had unfolded in the six sessions, it was not going to be easy for the visitors. Vidarbha openers managed to survive two testing overs during fag end of the second day.
Dhawan had an excellent start on a fresh morning. In his first over of the day, he sent back Kolhar and Chore on consecutive deliveries at the same score of 22. Das, Shalabh Shrivastava and Ravi Jangid got starts but were back in the hut and at 65 runs, half the side was gone. A defeat was looming large. Paradkar (22; 44b, 3x4) and Badani (83*; 179b, 270m, 10x4, 1x6) added 45 runs but the former misjudged a fuller one and edged it for the keeper. It looked a daunting task when the two left-handed batsmen Badani and Bahutule (61; 137b, 189m, 10x4) joined forces.
The duo, with over three hundred First-Class matches combined, showed the value of experience. Badani, meanwhile, got his thumb hurt (later it was found to be fractured) but he endured pain and the two professionals displayed grit and determination to the hilt. The efforts paid dividends. Slowly and steadily, the score that looked improbable once, was within sight. With 12 short of target, Bahutule departed but Wagh (6*) made sure there were no more hiccups.
“The match will always be remembered for the grit shown by Hemang (Badani). He played with a broken thumb. It was a beautiful win for Vidarbha. (Sairaj) Bahutule also made important runs but Badani played a solid innings. He played like a true professional. Both of them displayed professionalism and won the game for side. We also got promoted to the elite division (for next year). Badhiya match thaa,” Ghani concluded. n
