Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa’s struggles in the Vijay Merchant Trophy continued as they suffered a comprehensive innings and 195 run defeat against Baroda in their Elite Group D encounter on Sunday. The Under 16 three day match was held at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur and ended decisively in Baroda’s favour.
Resuming the final day at 51 for 3 in their second innings, Goa were unable to mount any resistance and were dismissed for 83 runs in 42.1 overs. Adeep Miskin was the lone bright spot for Goa with the bat, top scoring with 24 runs, while the rest of the batting order failed to cope with Baroda’s disciplined bowling attack.
Earlier in the match, Baroda had put themselves firmly in control by piling up a massive 399 for 8 before declaring their first innings. Their batters dominated proceedings, setting a target that proved far beyond Goa’s reach. In reply, Goa’s first innings ended in disappointment as they were bowled out for just 121 runs, leaving them staring at an inevitable innings defeat.
The second innings followed a similar pattern, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Baroda’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Jainam Patel leading the charge by picking up four wickets. Yuvraj Sinh supported him well with three scalps, while Krush Dabhi claimed two wickets and Om Patel added one to complete the collapse.
The defeat marked Goa’s second consecutive loss in the tournament. They had earlier gone down by ten wickets against Uttarakhand in their opening fixture, making it a challenging start to their campaign. With two heavy defeats, Goa will be eager to regroup quickly and address their batting concerns.
Goa are scheduled to face Andhra Pradesh in their next match later this month. The upcoming fixture offers an opportunity for the young side to regain confidence and put up a more competitive performance as they look to keep their campaign alive in the tournament.
