Vidarbha record big 191-run victory over Punjab

NAGPUR: The only thing that went Punjab's way on Saturday was toss.
After putting Vidarbha in helpful bowling conditions, Punjab would have planned to wrap things quickly. However, the script didn't go according to the plan. Vidarbha batsmen applied themselves better in challenging conditions to post a respectable 232 in 48.5 overs.
The pace attack, led by young Yash Thakur, then blew Punjab apart for a paltry 41 in just 20.4 overs to hand Vidarbha a huge 191-run victory in their opening match of the Under-23 One-day tournament at Mysuru.Except wicketkeeper Mayank Sidhu (17, 34b, 2x4), none of the Punjab batsmen could reach double figures.
Half the side went back to the pavilion by 5.1 overs as Thakur (9-3-16-4) and Darshan Nalkande (5-2-6-3) wrecked havoc. Left-arm pacer Saurabh Dubey and left-arm spinner Parth Rekhade wrapped the tail without much fuss.
It was Vidarbha's third straight victory against Punjab. They had defeated Punjab twice in last year's edition. Punjab, who were the pool toppers in the country last year, had lost their league phase and semifinal against Vidarbha.
While it was batting that stood out against a strong Punjab bowling, Vidarbha bowlers put up their hands up. The fall of wickets column of the Punjab innings read 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, 5-5, 6-18, 7-21, 8-34, 9-41, 10-41. Vidarbha bowlers hardly allowed any partnership to build once Thakur cleaned up Maninder Singh Bawa in the second over.
Nalkande then struck twice in successive balls in the next over. Both pacers picked up wickets in the next two overs to make it 5-5. Punjab hardly had any answer to Vidarbha's purposeful bowling. They kept bowling on to the stumps as six Punjab batsmen were cleaned bowled, while one was trapped in front of it.
Punjab team management would have hoped for better application from their batsmen, like their Vidarbha counterparts did. Led by Atharva Taide (51, 66b, 6x4) and his opening stand with Siddhesh Wath (40, 62b, 6x4), Vidarbha managed a decent total.
Southpaw Yash Kadam (45, 58b, 4x4) and Mohit Kale (33, 43b, 1x4, 2x6) and Parth Rekhade (22, 228, 1x4, 1x6) made useful contributions. Pacer Gurwinder Singh Bhullar sliced through lower order when Vidarbha were looking for acceleration.
BRIEF SCORES
Vidarbha 232 in 48.5 overs (Atharva Taide 52, Yash Kadam 45, Siddhesh Wath 40, Mohit Kale 33; Gurwinder Singh Bhullar 6-48, Ikjot Thind 2-40, Abhishek Bajaj 2-43) beat Punjab 41 in 20.4 overs (Mayank Sidhu 17; Yash Thakur 4-16, Darshan Nalkande 3-6, Parth Rekhade 2-5, Saurabh Dubey 1-12) by 191 runs.