Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Himachal Pradesh recovered from a challenging position to finish the opening day at 315 for 6 against Goa in their four-day Elite Group encounter of the Col CK Nayudu Trophy Under-23 cricket tournament on Tuesday.
After winning the toss and opting to bat at the Goa Cricket Association ground in Sanguem, Himachal Pradesh made a steady start but struggled as Goa’s bowlers reduced them to 131 for 5.
However, Arjun Wadhwa produced a superb unbeaten century to turn the innings around. He remained unbeaten on 125 and built a crucial 145-run partnership with Akshay Vashisht, who scored an impressive 74.
The partnership helped Himachal recover from early setbacks and put the visitors back in control of the innings. Vashisht’s dismissal did little to slow their progress as Wadhwa continued his resistance.
He then combined with Naunihaal Attalas, who remained unbeaten on 23, adding another valuable 39 runs to strengthen Himachal’s position by the close of play.
For Goa, left-arm spinner Anuj Yadav was the leading wicket-taker with three wickets for 94 runs. Vinayak Kunte, Deep Kasvankar and Mohit Yadav claimed one wicket each.
Himachal Pradesh reached 315 for 6 in 86 overs, with Wadhwa’s unbeaten 125 emerging as the standout contribution of the day.
Brief Scores
Himachal Pradesh Under-23, First Innings: 315/6 in 86 overs (Arjun Wadhwa 125 not out, Akshay Vashisht 74, Arpit Singh 30, Arnav Jamwal 27, Naunihaal Attalas 23 not out; Anuj Yadav 3/94, Vinayak Kunte 1/65, Deep Kasvankar 1/89, Mohit Yadav 1/17).
