The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sreekumar Nair and Jagadeesh rescue Kerala

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Friday, Nov 26, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Sreekumar Nair and Jagadeesh rescue Kerala

By Our Sports Reporter

PALAKKAD, NOV. 25. Debashish Mohanty struck just when Kerala threatened to take command on day one of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group `A' match against Orissa at the Fort Maidan Ground here on Thursday.

The former India bowler took four wickets to ensure that the honours were even at stumps.

Kerala finished the day at 212 for five. The host may be disappointed that it could not build on an excellent third-wicket partnership between Sreekumar Nair (87, 225b, 12x4, 6x1) and A.V. Jagadeesh (70, 162b, 9x4).

They had added 133 when Jagadeesh was adjudged lbw to Mohanty.

"I was hoping to make a really big score," said Jagadeesh.

He played confidently and made the best of a dropped catch off

Mohanty at the slips when on nine.

He was guided well by his senior partner Sreekumar, who played another

solid knock, before becoming Mohanty's third lbw victim.

"I am pleased with the way I batted today," said the left-hander.

Mohanty took his fourth wicket when he removed Kerala skipper Sunil Oasis seven overs before the close.

Kerala, after winning the toss, got off to a disastrous start and both the openers — debutante Sebastian Antony and Abhishek Hegde — were back

in the pavilion before the seventh over. Sebastian fell lbw to

Deepak Mangaraj, while Hegde pulled Mohanty straight to the square-leg fielder.

At 21 for two another top-order collapse looked very much on the cards,

but Jagadeesh chose this day to announce his arrival and Sreekumar was

determined to play the role of a senior batsman.

The scores: Kerala — 1st innings: Sebastian Antony lbw b Mangaraj 1, Abhishek Hegde c Mullick b Mohanty 10, A. V. Jagadeesh lbw b Mohanty 70, Sreekumar Nair lbw b Mohanty 87, Ajay Kudua (batting) 22, Sunil Oasis c Pradhan b Mohanty 7, C. M. Deepak (batting) 4, Extras (lb-5, nb-1, w-5) 11. Total (for five wickets) 212.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-21, 3-155, 4-189, 5-201.

Orissa bowling: Mohanty 15-2-29-4, Mangaraj 19-5-51-1, Mullick 5-1-14-0, Satpathy 31-7-77-0, Jena 17-5-33-0, N. Behera 3-2-3-0.

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