The Hindu : Jadhav stays put

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 27, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Jadhav stays put

By G. Viswanath

PUNE, MARCH 26. Dheeraj Jadhav continued his dream run compiling a responsible century on the first day of the Ranji `Plate Group' final between Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Averaging close to 106 in 10 innings of the championship, the left-hander was in full control for more than six hours before leaving the field with an undefeated 124 (290b, 17x4s), helping Maharashtra to 285 for three wickets in the first innings. Jadhav's splendid effort also took his first class aggregate in the season to over a thousand runs.

Jadhav, who took over the mantle from a seasoned campaigner in Surendhra Bhave, has occupied the centre stage in half a dozen matches in the season. However, this was a big test for him as two national selectors were on hand to take note of the proceedings. With his partner Niranjan Godbole finding an unlucky touch down the leg side, which fell into the hands of Naman Ojha in the sixth over, Jadhav applied himself to the task.

The arrival of Kanitkar calmed him and the Maharashtra skipper lent a guiding hand. The two left-handers complimented each other and carved up a substantial partnership in three hours before debutant Shantanu Pitre trapped Kanitkar in front, the ball hastening off the pitch and keeping low. Kanitkar's dismissal an hour after lunch was a big blow to the home team, but Jadhav and Kaushik Aphale kept the opposing side at bay.

Soon after the exit of Kanitkar, Jadhav followed a cautious approach, but grabbed scoring opportunities hitting the ball in front of the wicket and square on the off side especially against leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani and seamer Sanjay Pandey. However, when Jadhav was on 62 MP skipper Devendra Bundela put down a catch off leg-spinner Yogesh Golwalkar's first over of the match.

The third-wicket stand produced a useful 80 runs before Aphale was bowled by Hirwani. Earlier wicketkeeper Ojha failed to stump Aphale when the right-hander came down the pitch to drive Golwalkar, who bowled a decent spell of 18 overs and was unlucky to claim wickets. The fourth-wicket stand saw another young batsman, Dhruv Mohan, rattle up a quick 36 in an hour's time even as Jadhav kept his end secured defending the second ball with the full face of the bat.

The scores:

Maharashtra — 1st innings: D. Jadhav (batting) 124, N. Godbole c Ojha b Pitre 6, H. Kanitkar lbw b Pitre 55, K. Aphale b Hirwani 49, D. Mohan batting 36, Extras (b-4, lb-2, nb-8, w-1) 15; Total (for three wkts. in 90 overs) 285.

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-138, 3-218.

Madhya Pradesh bowling: Pandey 19-3-61-0, Pitre 14-4-48-2, Bundela 5-0-19-0, Pasha 6-1-18-0, Hirwani 23-2-72-1, Abbas Ali 5-2-11-0, Golwalkar 18-3-50-0.

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