Double Delight Gandhe claims hat-trick, Faiz hits double ton in Vid win
    Date :08-Sep-2020

Faiz Fazal_1  H
 Faiz Fazal became only the third batsman and first opener from Vidarbha to hit a double ton in an away match.
 
 
By Anupam Soni :
 
IF SOME brilliant performances by individuals culminate into team’s victory, the joy is multiplied manifold. Riding on two such exceptional shows, Vidarbha, coming into the match having lost the Ranji Trophy season opener to Madhya Pradesh by ten wickets, recorded an exciting win over Services in Delhi in 2008. Vidarbha opener Faiz Fazal cracked an unbeaten double hundred while skipper Pritam Gandhe registered his second First-Class hat-trick in their 135-run Plate Group B win at Palam A Ground, Model Sports Complex, Delhi in November 2008. With winter just setting in, Services skipper Sumit Tomar had no hesitation in putting the rivals in to exploit the early freshness of the wicket. The bowlers responded well. With the exception of middle-order bat Shalabh Shrivastava (42*) and Faiz (34), none of the visiting batsmen made any impact and the team was shot out for 151. Seven batsmen failed to reach twin figures including three who failed to get off the mark. Left-arm seamer Rakesh Kumar (5-45) did most of the damage upfront. His new ball partner Pankaj Kumar picked a couple and left-arm spinner Shuvra Karmakar snared three. A full session’s play still remained on the opening day.
 
 

Pritam Gandhe_1 &nbs 
 Pritam Gandhe picked his second First-Class hat-trick.
 
 
And Vidarbha bowlers returned the compliment in style. Debutant Rahul Chikhalkar ran out Tomar for one and two balls later in the third over of the innings, Vidarbha seamer Sandeep Singh removed Madhusudhan Reddy for nought. Other pacer Mohammad Hashim cleaned up Tahir Khan and the hosts were reeling at 10-3 in 7.1 overs. Hashim struck once again and Alind Naidu got the better of dangerman Yashpal Singh as the hosts ended the day at 43-5. Singh (5-27) completed his five-wicket haul on the morrow as Services were restricted to 77.
 
“Whenever we used to play against Services, it was always our main aim to beat them. We could progress in the group only when we beat at least Services as all the other teams, in general, would beat them. So the pressure was on us. “Initially, the wicket was damp and aided a lot of lateral movement and it was very tough for batting. We were bowled out in the first two sessions but our bowlers, led by ever-dependent Sandeep Singh, bowled with purpose and we skittled them out taking a first innings lead,” said the then skipper Gandhe remembering the outing. In the second innings, Faiz (200*) and Amit Deshpande (26) gave Vidarbha a solid start adding 91 runs. Faiz and Ranjit Paradkar (58) stitched a 169-run partnership for the third wicket before declaration came at 346-5.
 
“We wanted to bat long in the second innings. Wicket was still not that easy but I had some crucial partnerships. One with Ranjit Paradkar was an important one. I still remember that I reached my double hundred with a reverse sweep. It was my first double hundred in a First-Class match and is very close to my heart,” recalled Faiz. With turf eased out, taking ten wickets was a tough ask for Vidarbha. “After we declared, I was talking to our support staff saying that it would be a shame if were not able to get full points from this game. Services were not into chasing mode.
 
They were just trying to block and play time. The pitch was also not assisting much. I kept on changing ends and had bowled about 20 overs in my first two spells without any success,” said Gandhe. It seemed that the clock was ticking away much faster for the visitors. “Nothing much was happening and after tea, I consulted Faiz and Paradkar and decided to have a last try. In the first over of the new spell nothing happened. Then in the second over, I decided to bowl a leg-cutter, not exactly a doosra but a straight one. (Amiya) Mohanty missed the line and was out lbw. With the success, I decided to bowl the same one to the newcomer. I got a slip and a gully back.
 
 
The batsman (Shuvra Karmakar) was again hit on the pads...and out. All the players were happy and excited that something was happening. “I set an attacking field employing short-leg and silly point. Paradkar asked me what I was going to bowl next. I said I have got two wickets on the same ball and I will again bowl the same one. Playing for it, the batsman (Pankaj Kumar) edged it for the keeper. The players were pumped up and in the very next over the last man was run out and we could complete the win,” said Gandhe on the hat-trick that gave Vidarbha full points.
 
“They were also batting well in the second innings. We were trying to make a match of it but were unable to take wickets in the later stage of the innings. Ultimately it was the effort of Pritam Bhai...kamaal hi kar diya. In those days we did not use to win many away games so it was a happy ending,” Faiz concluded. 
 
Match: Vidarbha vs Services Ranji Trophy Plate Group B match played at Palam A Ground, Model Sports Complex, Delhi in November (10-13) 2008. Result: Vidarbha won by 135 runs. Highlights n Vidarbha skipper and off-spinner Pritam Gandhe picked his second First-Class hat-trick. To date, he remains the only bowler from Vidarbha to pick two hat-tricks in FC cricket. n Opening batsman Faiz Fazal recorded his maiden double ton in First-Class cricket. He crossed the 200-run mark once again later (in his yet unfinished career) and the southpaw remains the only batsman to score two double tons for Vidarbha in Ranji Trophy.
 
The Hitavada Scoreboard VIDARBHA 1ST INNINGS: F Fazal lbw b R Kumar 34, A Deshpande b R Kumar 10, A Naidu st Israni b R Kumar 0, R Paradkar lbw b R Kumar 0, R Chikhalkar c Y Singh b P Kumar 4, S Shrivastava Not Out 42, H Shitoot c Y Singh b R Kumar 2, M Acharya b Karmakar 20, S Singh c Y Singh b Karmakar 2, M Hashim b Karmakar 0, P Gandhe c Karmakar b P Kumar 8. Extras: (b 2, lb 6, nb 15, w 6) 29. TOTAL: (All out, 58.4 overs) 151. Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-38, 3-38, 4-43, 5-81, 6-85, 7-127, 8-138, 9-138. Bowling: R Kumar 18-2-45-5, P Kumar 15.4-3-36-2, Mohanty 9-2-20-0, Karmakar 13-3-38-3, Y Singh 3-1-4-0. SERVICES 1ST INNINGS: S Tomar run out (Chikhalkar) 1, T Khan b Hashim 6, M Reddy c Fazal b Singh 0, Y Singh c Deshpande b Naidu 24, J Singh c Fazal b Hashim 4, D Israni b Singh 3, S Singh c Deshpande b Hashim 21, A Mohanty c Naidu b Singh 0, S Karmakar c Chikhalkar b Singh 6, P Kumar c Deshpande b Singh 1, R Kumar Not Out 3. Extras: (b 2, lb 1, nb 4, w 1) 8. TOTAL: (All out, 31.4 overs) 77. Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-4, 3-10, 4-26, 5-40, 6-43, 7-43, 8-54, 9-57. Bowling: Singh 12-3-27-5, Hashim 11.4-1-35-3, Naidu 5-2-9-1, Gandhe 2-1-2-0, Acharya 1-0-1-0. VIDARBHA 2ND INNINGS: F Fazal Not Out 200, A Deshpande lbw b P Kumar 26, A Naidu lbw b P Kumar 2, R Paradkar c Tahir Khan b P Kumar 58, R Chikhalkar c Y Singh b R Kumar 2, S Shrivastava b P Kumar 0, H Shitoot Not Out 25. Extras: (b 6, lb 2, nb 24, w 1) 33. TOTAL: (5wkts decl, 122.5 overs) 346. Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-98, 3-267, 4-279, 5-280. Bowling: R Kumar 35-8-89-1, P Kumar 37-6-94-4, Y Singh 16-0-42-0, Mohanty 30.5-1-102-0, Reddy 4-1-11-0. SERVICES 2ND INNINGS (Target 421 Runs): S Tomar c Singh b Acharya 63, T Khan b Hashim 10, M Reddy c Deshpande b Naidu 14, Y Singh lbw b Naidu 25, J Singh b Acharya 45, D Israni Not Out 53, S Singh run out (Deshpande) 36, A Mohanty lbw b Gandhe 15, S Karmakar lbw b Gandhe 0, P Kumar c Deshpande b Gandhe 0, R Kumar run out (Hashim) 0. Extras: (b 8, lb 7, nb 8, w 1) 24. TOTAL: (All out 111.4 overs) 285. Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-70, 3-96, 4-146, 5-174, 6-249, 7-284, 8-284, 9-284. Bowling: R Singh 23-0-74-0, Hashim 27-7-56-1, Naidu 20-4-61-2, Gandhe 22.4-4-36-3, Acharya 16-3-32-2, Shitoot 2-0-6-0, Fazal 1-0-5-0.