Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa found themselves in serious trouble against Odisha in the Colonel C.K. Nayudu Trophy Elite Under-23 four day cricket tournament, ending the third day at a precarious three for two after conceding a substantial lead at the Goa Cricket Association ground in Sanguem.
After taking a first innings lead of 54 runs, Odisha strengthened their position by declaring their second innings at 374 for six in 95.5 overs, setting Goa a challenging task. The hosts then endured a disastrous start in their chase, losing two wickets for just three runs in seven overs.
Odisha resumed their second innings at 51 for one but slipped to 84 for three before Shreyansh Bharadwaj and captain Sujal Singh turned the innings around with a crucial 119 run partnership for the fourth wicket.
Bharadwaj led the recovery with an impressive 103, while Sujal scored 69 off just 75 deliveries, striking 11 boundaries. Their partnership provided the foundation for Odisha to build a commanding total.
Wicketkeeper batter Aashirwad Swain further strengthened Odisha’s position with an attacking 88 off 92 balls. Syed Ahmad remained unbeaten on 32, helping the visitors push their total to 374 for six before declaring.
For Goa, Anuj Yadav was the leading wicket taker with three wickets for 110 runs. Deep Kasvankar claimed two wickets for 88, while Vinayak Kunte finished with one wicket for 50 runs.
Goa’s second innings began on a disastrous note as Malhar Naik was dismissed for a duck, suffering his second dismissal without scoring in the match. Shaantanu Nevagi managed only two runs before departing, leaving Goa in deep trouble.
At stumps, Sarthak Bhike was unbeaten on one, while Vinayak Kunte had yet to open his account. Ashutosh Marandi and Abhishek Singh claimed one wicket each for Odisha to leave Goa facing an uphill battle heading into the final day.
Brief Scores
Odisha Under-23: 199 all out and 374/6 declared in 95.5 overs. Shreyansh Bharadwaj 103, Aashirwad Swain 88, Sujal Singh 69, Syed Ahmad 32 not out. Anuj Yadav 3/110, Deep Kasvankar 2/88.
Goa Under-23: 253 all out and 3/2 in 7 overs. Sarthak Bhike 1 not out, Shaantanu Nevagi 2. Ashutosh Marandi 1/1, Abhishek Singh 1/2.
