Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: Goa endured a narrow defeat against Madhya Pradesh, losing by three wickets in their Ranji Trophy Group B clash at the GCA Academy Ground in Porvorim. Despite beginning the final day with hopes of defending their total, Goa could not capitalize on early breakthroughs as Madhya Pradesh successfully chased down a challenging 328-run target, finishing at 328 for 7 in 94 overs.
Resuming at 21 for 1 on Day Four, Madhya Pradesh’s openers Harsh Gawali (54) and skipper Himanshu Mantri (22) built a steady start, adding 28 runs before Arjun Tendulkar dismissed Mantri to give Goa their first wicket of the day. Gawali then combined with Shubham Sharma (72) for a valuable 57-run stand for the third wicket. After reaching his fifty, Gawali was removed by left-arm spinner Darshan Misal, but Sharma continued to hold firm.
Shubham partnered with Harpreet Singh Bhatia (35) to add another 70 runs for the fourth wicket, taking Madhya Pradesh closer to the target. Off-spinner Lalit Yadav provided a double breakthrough, dismissing both Harpreet and Sharma to revive Goa’s hopes. However, the visitors showed resilience through Rishabh Chauhan and Aryan Pandey before both fell in quick succession, leaving Madhya Pradesh precariously placed at 263 for 7, still 65 runs away from victory.
At that critical stage, Saransh Jain played a composed and unbeaten knock of 82, ably supported by Arshad Khan’s 25 not out. The pair added a crucial 65-run partnership to see Madhya Pradesh home without further loss.
For Goa, Lalit Yadav and Darshan Misal claimed two wickets each, while Arjun Tendulkar, V. Koushik, and Mohit Redkar chipped in with one apiece.
The result saw Goa drop to third place in the Group B standings, with 11 points from four matches, comprising one win, one loss, and two draws. Goa will next take on Saurashtra at the Niranjan Shah Stadium Ground C in Rajkot, starting November 16.
