da fazobetai： In a high scoring game played between India’s left-handed and righthanded cricketers at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the left-handedXI captained by Robin Singh won in a canter with 6 wickets and nearly12 overs to spare
da bet nacional： Staff Reporter29-Apr-2001In a high scoring game played between India’s left-handed and righthanded cricketers at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the left-handedXI captained by Robin Singh won in a canter with 6 wickets and nearly12 overs to spare. The match was a benefit game for ex-Mumbai wicketkeeper batsman Sulakshan Kulkarni and also the Timex Challenge.Sourav Ganguly, who was supposed to lead the southpaws’ XI,disappointed fans who were eagerly expecting a clash between Gangulyand Tendulkar who were to have led the two sides. Robin Singh, whostepped in to fill the breach, won the toss and elected to field.Certainly a decision which brought lots of cheers to the medium-sizedcrowd for it meant that Sachin Tendulkar would be out in the centreearly in the day.Shiv Sundar Das and Tendulkar opened the batting for the righthanders. Das was his usual solid self while Tendulkar blazed away atthe opposite end. Tendulkar singled out Mumbai left-arm seamer SandeepDahad for punishment early on, hitting him for three boundaries each,in two overs. The two put on 126 runs for the 1st wicket in just over15 overs before Das was runout for a neatly compiled 49 due to a smartpiece of glovework by Vinod Kambli, who kept wickets for the lefthanders XI.Das was replaced by the in-form VVS Laxman who settled into a goodrhythm early on. Tendulkar then went on to register his second centuryat the Wankhede Stadium in as many days. It must be remembered thatthe little master made a ton on Saturday, 28 April 2001 at yet anotherbenefit match. Tendulkar took just 68 balls to reach the landmark with14 boundaries and two huge sixes. Having scored his century, Tendulkarpromptly retired to the cool confines of the pavilion.Dravid joined Laxman but did not last long, bowled by Nilesh Kulkarnias he tried to slog. Reetinder Singh Sodhi joined Laxman at the creaseand the two went after the bowling with aplomb, adding 81 runs in just7.2 overs. Sodhi was particularly harsh on Sunil Joshi, the left armspinner who has been out of favour with the national selectors inrecent times. At the other end, Laxman continued his great run ofform, scoring 79 runs in just 47 deliveries with six boundaries andfour huge hits that cleared the ropes with ease. Laxman was snapped upby Vinod Kambli off Dinesh Mongia, who had a dream spell towards theend of the innings.A batting collapse then ensued as Rajesh Sutar was dismissed in thelast ball of the same over, Ajit Agarkar and Nikhil Chopra weredismissed off the first two balls of Mongia’s next over, giving theleft arm spinner from Punjab a hat-trick. The tail failed to giveSodhi enough support. Sodhi tried gallantly but was last man out for awell made 74 in just 39 deliveries with 7 boundaires and one six. Theright-handers’ XI collapsed to 346 all out in just 38.5 overs. DineshMongia with 6/60 in 7 overs was easily the pick of the bowlers.In order to surpass a total of this nature, the left-handers’ XI wouldhave needed a great start. They failed to get this – Yuvraj Singh andVinod Kambli added 45 runs for the first wicket, at a good pace, in6.3 overs. However Yuvraj Singh was dismissed by Agarkar for 30 in 21balls with six boundaries. Sunil Joshi, promoted in the batting order,proceeded to give all present a wonderful exhibition of power hittingas he smashed the ball straight back down the ground in characteristicfashion. He put on 118 runs for the second wicket with Kambli in just10.3 overs and ended up with 81 in 38 deliveries (7 fours, 8 sixes).At the other end, Kambli had lost the early momentum and this resultedin a loss of concentration. Kambli was caught by Sutar off NikhilChopra for 42 runs when the score was 176.The skipper, Robin Singh then proceeded to take the game away from theright-handers. Scoring at more than 2 runs a ball to end up with 114in just 50 deliveries, Robin Singh showed why he has been such anintegral part of any Indian limited overs side in the recent past.Kanitkar and Dinesh Mongia chipped in with a few lusty hits and theleft-handers’ XI romped home.It was a day of gala cricket with the batsmen ruling roost – exactlywhat the crowds wanted.
