Vid get their first double centurion Skipper Phadkar breaches two hundred-run mark
   Date :28-Jul-2020

Phadkar _1  H x
 Suhas Phadkar (L) and Sameer Gujar returning to pavilion after first day’s play adding an unbeaten 280 runs for fifth wicket. The photograph was published in ‘The Hitavada’.
 
 
By Anupam Soni :
 
THE first season of Ranji Trophy was played in 1934–35. Vidarbha started taking part in the premier First-Class domestic event from 1957 and it took more than three decades for a Vidarbha batsman to register a maiden score in excess of two hundred runs. Suhas Phadkar was the first one to break the barrier. Leading his team against Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Central Zone League match played at VCA’s Civil Lines ground in November 1988, the stylish right-handed middle-order batsman made 203. Phadkar’s historic knock and young Sameer Gujar’s 115 came at a crucial time and the duo added a record 315 runs for the fifth wicket against Uttar Pradesh. Incidentally, Phadkar’s record was bettered by Gujar (221) three seasons later in 1991-92 against Madhya Pradesh at the same venue.
 
Against the likes of UP pacers Rudra Pratap Singh Senior (who played two ODIs for India) and Mohsin Raza and India spinners Gopal Sharma (off-spinner, 5 Tests and 11 ODIs) and Gyanendra Pandey (left-arm orthodox, 2 ODIs), Phadkar played shots all over the park as Vidarbha dominated the proceedings. Uttar Pradesh had won the toss and elected to bowl. After early fall of Umakant Phate (6), Pravin Hinganikar (30) and Raju Pankule (20) took the score to 60. But three quick wickets put the hosts in a quandary and from a healthy 60-1, they were 75-4 with both the pacers taking two each. Phadkar joined Gujar in the middle and the two mixed caution and aggression scoring runs at a good pace. Phadkar completed his double hundred on second morning from 246 balls playing more than five hours (317 mins) and hitting 30 boundaries.
 
The duo took the team close to 400-run mark before both got out five runs apart. Prashant Vaidya (44), Satish Takle (31) and Hemant Wasu (19) made some decent contributions as the team piled 499 before getting all out in 124.2 overs. Pandey, who had removed both Phadkar and Gujar, returned with the best figures for the bowling unit. “UP had a good bowling line-up. RP (Singh Sr) was a tall bowler and bowled at a decent pace. Then they had Gyanendra Pandey, who was among the best upcoming players while India offie Gopal Sharma was leading the side. We had lost three quick wickets when Sameer and I got into middle. I just told him to hang on. And Sameer, who always used to play with a straight bat, responded well,” recalled Phadkar.
 
“At end of the opening day, we had added 280 runs without being separated. I was not out on 181 runs. The next morning I duly completed my double hundred and it was a great feeling as I was the first one to do so for Vidarbha,” Phadkar said. The skipper made UP pay for a miss early on in the innings. “I got a life when I was 22. (Wicketkeeper) Sunil (Chaturvedi) could not remove the bails on the bowling of Pandey. Ironically, on the second day, after I completed my double hundred, I got out to the same combination...and had added exactly 22 runs that morning (second day) too. “(Shashikant) Khandkar (UP opener), who was very friendly with me, told me at lunch that he told Sunil ‘accha hua tune ab miss nahi kiya. 22 par miss kiya toh 203 bane ab karta toh pata nahi kab tak ground par rahna padta’,” said Phadkar. Gujar, who later bettered the mark, confessed that being at the non-striker’s end watching history being made, inspired him. “It was a great partnership.
 
Phadkar’s knock inspired me and it instilled confidence that I can also do it,” said Gujar. In reply, Uttar Pradesh openers and domestic stalwarts Shashikant Khandkar (62) and Vishal Yadav (25) started well putting on 84 runs. But within eleven runs, left-arm orthodox spinner Wasu accounted for both of them in an identical fashion. He caught them on his on bowling. He repeated the act once again getting rid of Chaturvedi in the same way. But one-down Indrapal Singh (73) and Rahul Sapru (87) stemmed the rot stitching a 149-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
 
Raju Pankule gave the important breakthrough and then Wasu and off-spinner Pritam Gandhe ran through the opponents. UP innings folded at 355 in 109.5 overs. Wasu (5-78) returned with a five-wicket haul while Gandhe snared three wickets. Vidarbha declared their second innings at 49-1 at the fall of only wicket of Pankule setting the visitors a target of 194 runs. Vidarbha seamer Jugade took three wickets inside eight runs but time ran out for the hosts and UP ended the match with 82-4 in 15 overs. n
 

Maharajkumar of Vizianagr
 
 
Match: Vidarbha vs Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy Central Zone League match played at VCA Civil Lines ground in November 1988 (3-day match).
Result: Match, dominated by Vidarbha, ended in a draw.
Highlights
n Skipper Suhas Phadkar became first Vidarbha batsman to score a double century in a First-Class match.
n Phadkar (203) and Gujar (115) added a record 315 runs for the fifth wicket against UP.
n Uttar Pradesh were led by offie Gopal Sharma who played 5 Tests and 11 ODIs for India. He was the first UP player included in the Indian squad since Sir Pusapati Vijay Ananda Gajapathi Raju (28 Dec 1905 – 2 Dec 1965) better known as the Maharajkumar of Vizianagram or Vizzy in 1936. Inter-Zone University tournament Vizzy Trophy is conducted in his memory.
 
 
The Hitavada Scoreboard
 
VIDARBHA 1ST INNINGS: RM Pankule c Yadav b RP Singh 20, US Phate c Rana b Mohsin Raza 6, PB Hingnikar c RP Singh b Mohsin Raza 30, PP Pandit c IP Singh b RP Singh 4, SG Gujar c Yadav b Pandey 115, SJ Phadkar st Chaturvedi b Pandey 203, S Takle c IP Singh b Pandey 31, S Jugade lbw b RP Singh 4, HR Wasu b Sharma 19, PS Vaidya c Sapru b Pandey 44, PV Gandhe Not Out 7. Extras: (b 3, lb 7, nb 2) 12. Bonus Runs: 4. TOTAL: (All out, 124.2 overs) 499. FoW: 1-16, 2-60, 3-60, 4-75, 5-390, 6-395, 7-400, 8-444, 9-468. Bowling: RP Singh 39-7-144-3, Mohsin Raza 21-3-108-2, Pandey 25.2-0-82-4, Sharma 21-2-88-1, Ansari 16-1-55-0, IP Singh 2-0-8-0. UTTAR PRADESH 1ST INNINGS: SS Khandkar c&b Wasu 62, VS Yadav c&b Wasu 25, IP Singh run out 73, S Chaturvedi c&b Wasu 20, R Sapru b Pankule 87, RP Singh c Takle b Wasu 13, G Sharma b Gandhe 9, PNS Rana st Hingnikar b Gandhe 6, GK Pandey b Wasu 23, MA Ansari c Jugade b Gandhe 10, Mohsin Raza Not Out 4. Extras: (b 20, lb 3) 23. TOTAL: (All out, 109.5 overs) 355. FoW: 1-84, 2-95, 3-131, 4-280, 5-297, 6-297, 7-318, 8-319, 9-347. Bowling: Takle 10-1-34-0, Jugade 14-1-60-0, Vaidya 12-5-46-0, Wasu 34.5-8-78-5, Gandhe 29-6-80-3, Pankule 10-0-34-1. VIDARBHA 2ND INNINGS: RM Pankule b Ansari 11, US Phate Not Out 30. Extras: (b 8) 8. TOTAL: (1 wkt decl, 21.5 overs) 49. FoW: 1-49. Bowling: RP Singh 3-2-4-0, Mohsin Raza 2-1-5-0, Pandey 6-1-17-0, Sharma 8-3-14-0, Ansari 2.5-1-1-1. UTTAR PRADESH 2ND INNINGS (Target 194 runs): SS Khandkar b Jugade 34, PNS Rana b Jugade 6, IP Singh c Takle b Gandhe 0, S Chaturvedi c Takle b Jugade 5, VS Yadav Not Out 21, R Sapru Not Out 13. Extras: (lb 3) 3. TOTAL: (4 wickets, 15 overs) 82. FoW: 1-41, 2-42, 3-49, 4-58. Bowling: Takle 2-0-18-0, Jugade 6-0-32-3, Vaidya 1-0-10-0, Wasu 1-0-4-0, Gandhe 5-1-15-1.
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