Cuttack: Odisha defeated Services by an innings 31 runs in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group Group C encounter which ended Friday at the DRIEMS ground in Tangi. This was Odisha’s second victory in succession and in the first game they had beaten Chhattisgarh.
Services were always under pressure after falling behind by 269 runs in the first innings. Resuming at their overnight score of 86 for three, Services were bowled out for 238 against a steady Odisha bowling attack.
Pacer Rajesh Mohanty was the pick of the Odisha bowlers with three wickets for 44 runs. However, first innings hero Basant Mohanty who had claimed six scalps went wicket-less in the second innings. Others who bowled well were leg-spinner Abhishek Raut (3/47) and medium pacer Debabrata Pradhan (2/48). The only Services batsman to offer some resistance to the Odisha bowlers was Vikash Hathwala (71, 97b, 11×4).
Debashis Samantray was rightly adjudged man of the match for his brilliant innings of 195. In fact it was his knock that ensured a over 250-run lead for Odisha in the first innings.
Odisha now have 14 points from two games and this has so far been a dream start for them in Ranji Trophy. In the recent past, they have never won two games in a row during the start to their campaign.
Brief scores: Services 271 and 238 (Vikash Hathwala 71, Arun Bamal 40, Rajesh Mohanty 3/44, Abhshek Raut 3/47 Debabrata Pradhan 2/48) lost to Odisha 540 all out by an innings and 31 runs.
PNN