Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023-24: Defending champion Saurashtra surprised by unfancied Tripura

Unfancied Tripura surprised defending champion Saurashtra by 148 runs within the Vijay Hazare Trophy on the Alur Cricket Stadium right here on Monday.

On a wicket that was no featherbed, Tripura scored a aggressive 258, with half-centuries from Bikram Kumar Das (59, 76b, 4×4), and the seasoned duo of Sudip Chatterjee (61, 93b, 2×4) and Ganesh Satish (71, 74b, 5×4).

A virtually full energy Saurashtra, regardless of having in its midst star batter Cheteshwar Pujara, didn’t show related collective spirit and was bundled out for a paltry 110.

The skilled Tripura pacer Manisankar Murasingh struck the first two blows — Harvik Desai was snapped up within the cordon and Chirag Jani noticed his stumps rearranged. Rana Datta lured Sheldon Jackson right into a lunging drive and had him caught at gully to depart Saurashtra reeling at 13 for 3.

Pujara (24, 32b) and Arpit Vasavada (16, 30b) resisted for a whereas, however pacers Bikramjit Debnath and Abhijit Sarkar triggered one other collapse, dismissing Pujara leg-before and castling Vasavada, respectively.

Joydeb Deb celebrating a dismissal throughout Tripura’s win over Saurashtra within the 2023-24 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
| Picture Credit score:
SUDHAKARA JAIN/THE HINDU

Tweaker Joydeb Deb, enjoying solely his second Record A match, ran via the Saurashtra middle- and lower-orders, selecting up a fifer (5 for 15) over one uninterrupted spell of 6.4 overs.

Vishvarajsinh Jadeja, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Jaydev Unadkat had been trapped in entrance by the 18-year-old, with all three responsible of exhibiting little to no footwork. Prerak Mankad (21, 43b) was caught at brief mid-wicket, and the curtain dropped when Debnath accomplished a splendid catch working from long-on to ship again Parth Bhut (21, 27b).

“It’s a distinct feeling once you beat a champion crew,” stated Wriddhiman Saha, Tripura skipper and certainly one of India’s finest wicket-keepers.

“We misplaced the toss however nonetheless batted properly. Bowlers had been very disciplined and we consider that any crew will discover it robust to attain towards us if we bowl to our strengths. And we saved up the strain all through.”