Pic by Sambit Mohapatra
Odisha bowled Maharashtra out twice in a stunning fashion on the second day to win their Ranji Trophy Group B cricket match by an innings and 118 runs.
Odisha collected seven points, inclusive of a bonus point, as they wrapped up the match with two days to spare at the Krishnagiri Stadium.
In total, 21 wickets fell on an eventful day. Odisha batted for 2.4 overs and folded for 319, having begun the day on 311 for 9.
Maharashtra’s Anupam Sanklecha (5/75) took the last wicket to complete yet another five-wicket haul — his fourth in three games.
Sanklecha fine efforts went in vain as his batting colleagues came a cropper in both the innings.
In reply, Maharashtra struggled against Odisha’s medium-pacers — Suryakant Pradhan (4/34) in particular — as they were bowled out within 26 overs for a paltry 94 in their first innings.
Number nine Sanklecha was the top-scorer for Maharashtra with a 33-ball 18 while the extras accounted for 19.
Basant Mohanty and Deepak Behera took three wickets each in the Maharashtra first innings.
Asked to follow on, Maharashtra were reduced to 45 for 7, before an eighth-wicket partnership of 55 between Vishant More and Sanklecha delayed the inevitable.
Maharashtra eventually folded their second innings for 107 to suffer an embarrassing defeat.
Wicketkeeper Vishant More was the top scorer in the Maharashtra second innings with 29.
Biplab Samantray took a career-best 4/34, while Pradhan added a further 3 for 36 to his match haul of 7 for 70.
Brief Scores:
Odisha: 319 all out in 84.5 overs. Maharashtra: 94 all out in 26 overs & 107 (f/o) all out in 36.4 overs.