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NKP Salve Challenger Trophy: India Red beat India Green

A fine century from Murali Vijay ensured that India Red kept their NKP Salve Challenger Trophy hopes alive with an eight-wicket win over India Green in Nagpur.

Having lost their opener against India Blue by a tight margin, the ease with which they chased down their target of 224 puts them in a strong position; should India Green beat India Blue then India Red’s net run-rate could see them into the final although if India Blue win the final preliminary game, India Green cannot progress.

India Green lost too many wickets to post a competitive score, which on this pitch is at least 240 and their 223 for seven always looked short. They slipped to 53 for three before the innings was rebuilt, first by Tanmay Srivastava (41), then by Saurabh Tiwary, who made 66 in 97 balls and Anirudh Srikkanth, who scored 58 in 57. Munaf Patel impressed again, just as had done in the Irani Trophy, by taking three for 57 and there were two wickets for Ravi Ashwin with Sudeep Tyagi and Ravi Jadeja also claiming a scalp apiece. Shikhar Dhawan was the first man to fall for the India Red side, caught by Lakshmipathy Balaji off of Dhawal Kulkarni for 68, ending a 155-run partnership with Vijay.

Vijay finally fell with just 16 more runs required when he was caught by Tiwary, Chetanya Nanda the relieved bowler although it was far too little, far too late for India Green. Captain Subramanian Badrinath, unbeaten on 34 alongside Jadeja (4), sealed the match by hitting Nanda for a six from the fifth ball of the 39th over.

Tags: India Green, India Red, NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2009