Nippun, Mandeep wreck Sikkim innings

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, January 21

Nippun Pandita and Mandeep Singh claimed three wickets each to put Sikkim on back foot on the opening day of the four-day Col CK Nayudu Plate Group tie, played at Vikash Cricket Ground in Bhubaneshwar, today.

Sikkim skipper Mohamed Shahbaz won the toss and opted to bat. However, the decision backfired as the city bowlers bowled out Sikkim for 216 runs. The duo of Pandita and Mandeep wrecked Sikkim innings by reducing them to 52/7 before entering the lunch.

The opening partnership between Saurav Prasad and Avinash Rajak lasted for only three runs as Pandita claimed his first wicket of the day. He accounted for Rajak (2), followed by the wicket of Sankar (0) in the same over. Parth joined Prasad but the duo were up against in-form pacer Mandeep. Prasad was playing at 4 runs, when he was caught by Satyam Saini off Mandeep. Pandita’s fierce bowling continued as he claimed Parth (11) to reduce the team 19/4. Next-in Harit contributed only one run to the total before falling prey to Mandeep. Skipper Shahbaz (13) was the next victim of Mandeep, while Sanjay Chettri (8) fall to Shivang Saini at the team’s total of 52 runs.

Facing trouble at 52/7, Sandeep and Mohamed Saptula thereafter came in to fill in the scoring shoes. The duo raised a 112-run partnership to help Sikkim move towards a respectable total. The partnership was broken by city skipper Amrit Lubana as he accounted for Sandeep for a sedate 64 off 121 balls, studded with 10 boundaries. Saptula kept on playing at one end and raised another important partnership of 48-run partnership with Dinesh Kumar Dhobi. Lubana once again came to the rescue of the side as he claimed Dhobi (15 off 29 balls, with two boundaries) for 212 runs. Monoj was the last man out after getting run out by Mandeep for a naught. Saptula went bnack unbeaten but unluckily missed scoring a century. He scored 95 off 159 balls, studded with 15 boundaries. Pandita claimed his share for 59 runs, while Manddep completed his spell of three wickets for 54 runs. Lubana also accounted for two wickets for 23 runs and Shivang claimed 1/17 for Chandigarh.

In reply, Chandīgarh lads too had a shaky start as they lost an early wicket of opener Tushar Joshi. He opened with Taranpreet Singh to raise a 39-run partnership. Joshi’s wicket was claimed by Dinesh Dhobi for 18 runs. Sanyam Saini (2) and Joshi (17 off 51 balls) were playing at the drawn of the stumps.