So Near Yet So Far!!

The new cricket season began on Monday and it’s not the kind of beginning Team VJTI would have hoped for as we went down fighting by 1 run against Jai Hind in the inter collegiate cricket tournament conducted by Bengal Gymkhana, Shivaji Group and were knoced out of the tornament.

The match which took place at Azad Maidan, CST was not a typical ODI match you would expect these days. It was more like a longer version where your temperament and patience is tested. Winning the toss Jai Hind elected to bat and got off to a slow and steady start. The opener’s batted carefully and made sure no damage was done with the new ball. The partnership was finally broken by Chinmay Kurve who started the season the way he ended last years (Chinu as he is called was the highest wicket taker last year). Jai Hind played on steady and kept the score board ticking per over with around 100 runs in the first 25 overs. Then they had a move on and managed to score at a much better and healthier rate with better running and sensible cricket, getting to a respectable 167 at the end of 35 overs. Chinmay ended up with 3 wickets.

167 was always a stiff target in the detoriating wicket and our openers got to a brisk start with Tejas looking very aggressive. With 25 runs on the board Jai Hind got their first break through. I and Nikhil steadied the ship for some time after which I got out lbw on 15, followed by a bizarre mix up between Nikhil and Pramod as the debutant Pramod got run out without troubling the scorers. NIkhil and Chinmay built on an important partnership and things were looking fine at 100 for three untill when 3 wickets fell in quick succession and suddenly it was 120 for 6 with Nikhil as the only front line batsman left. Wickets kept tumbling and suddenly it was 48 from 48 with 2 wickets left. When all seemed lost Harsh gave good company to Nikhil and kept us in the running. Harsh got out trying to play an expansive shot and it was 23 in 3 overs with a wicket left. Nikhil and Rajat kept the score ticking with vital boundaries in between. The match came to the last ball as we required 3 runs from it. Nikhil flicked the ball to fine leg and managed to run 2 as Team VJTI where celebrating the tied match only to find the square leg umpire give a short run and hand over the victory to Jai Hind.

The match belonged to Nikhil Sabnis as he scored out a valiant 67 and batted out the entire innings.(I guess that’s the first time in VJTI’s history someone has batted start to finish). He showed great patience and had the right attitude to bat on the wicket which earned him Man of the Match. (a kit bag as Man of the Match in a first round match is rare these days) He continued his scintillating performance with the bat and carried on the form of last year.

This is not the beginning we would have hoped for, especially after the success of last year (winning 2 tournaments and a winning percentage of more than 70% overall). There were too many extras, over throws, confusions in field placing. On the whole we weren’t up to the mark. Time to rethink few of our strategies and start preparing for the next tournament, 'Enthusia' scheduled in the second week of January. The defending champs would like to come all guns blazing for sure.