Seamers Kartik, Mohit guide UP enter final
LUCKNOW : With over 30 wickets each by Kartik Tyagi (31) and Mohit Jangra (30), the two seamers have proved their consistency with red cherry for the former champions Uttar Pradesh this season. Their performances are the testimony of their dominance on all kind of surface across the country.
Wednesday too wasn’t different for Kartik and Mohit, who took two wickets each to help former champions Uttar Pradesh script an innings and 57-run win against hosts Rajasthan to enter the final of the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy at Jaipur.
In fact, a win for last year’s semi-finalist Uttar Pradesh was already ensured as Rajasthan were tottering at 79/6 at close of stumps on day two of the fourday match on Tuesday, and on Wednesday it turned out to be mere formality for Kartik and Mohit to finish the Rajasthan’s second innings in 56 balls, which saw the last four batsmen scoring just 23 runs.
On the very second ball of the day, Mohit knocked out the middle stump of Ra Choudhary (19) with a quick in-swinger. Soon Kartik removed the other overnight batsman Mj Suthar (13) with stumper Dhruv Chand Jurel taking a straight catch, at the KL Saini Stadium.
The two continued to let their deliveries do the talking as first Mohit nicked RM Bishnoi (5) into the safe hands of Dhruv behind the stumps, and then Kartik had an edge from the willow of Am Mathur (1) for Ansh Yadav at second slip to bring curtains on Rajasthan’s struggle in the game at 102 in 34.2 overs.
Kartik, who finished with 5/24 in the second innings, completed a match-haul of 8/62, whereas Mohit with 1/28 in the first innings finished the match figure with 5/49. The win, however, helped Uttar Pradesh avenge their defeat from the hands of Rajasthan in the quarterfinals of the one-day tournament early in the season. “There was no question of any revenge against the hosts. We played according to our plan and we won. That’s it,” UP’s coach Amir said after the match. “Consistent performance remained the key to teams’ success this time, and I am happy that boys have been doing well in all matches, including league phase where we didn’t lose a game,” said Amir, adding, “We didn’t experiment with so many changes in the playing XI except some minor tweaking and it paid us rich dividends.”
Amir, under whose guidance UP had a semi-final finish last season, also accepted that now all the focus has been shifted on the final match, starting Monday with the winners of ongoing match between Maharashtra and Vidarbha.
“After losing in the quarterfinals in the one-day tourney, boys were eager to show their might in the innings cricket and that motivation has been showing its mark. Now, we need one more win to rewrite the script of success for the state,” said Amir.
KARTIK, WHO FINISHED WITH 5/24 IN THE SECOND INNINGS, COMPLETED A MATCHHAUL OF 8/62, WHEREAS MOHIT WITH 1/28 IN THE FIRST INNINGS FINISHED THE MATCH FIGURE WITH 5/49
SCORECARD Rajasthan (1st innings): 114.
Uttar Pradesh innings): 273.
Rajasthan (2nd innings): (1st
HK Joshi c Sameer Choudhary b Mohit Jangra 0, Dr Gajraj b Kartik Tyagi 0, Sn Kulsrshtha b Kartik Tyagi 0, SA Ahuja c Aryan Juyal b Kritagya K Singh 36, Karan Lamba c Dhruv Chand Jurel b Kartik Tyagi 1, Sv Joshi lbw Mohit Jangra 1, Ra Choudhary b Mohit Jangra 19, Mj Suthar c Dhruv Chand Jurel b Kartik Tyagi 13, Rm Bishnoi c Dhruv Chand Jurel b Mohit Jangra 5, AM Singh not out 4, Am Mathur c Ansh Yadav b Kartik Tyagi 1.
Extras (nb3, w7, b8, lb4) 22. Total (all out; 34.2 overs) 102. Fall of wickets:
1-4, 2-4, 3-4, 4-5, 5-10, 6-50, 7-79, 8-97, 9-97, 10-102. Mohit 12-6-21-4, Kartik 10.2-624-5, Shivam 5-2-8-0, Purnank 5-0-27-0, Kritagya 2-1-10-1.
Bowling: