India juniors off to flying start

FEBRUARY 24: Coach Krishnamachari Srikkanth's boys sounded the warning bells to the touring Sri Lankan under-19 squad ahead of their four...

FEBRUARY 24: Coach Krishnamachari Srikkanth8217;s boys sounded the warning bells to the touring Sri Lankan under-19 squad ahead of their four-day Test8217; scheduled to begin here on Friday.

In the three-day tour opener at the Brabourne Stadium here, Board President8217;s XI under-19 scored a thumping nine-wicket victory over the visitors to give them much to work on before the Test and four one-dayers.Forced to follow on yesterday by the home side, the Sri Lankans started the day at a comfortable 162 for three. While Sri Lankan coach Carlton Bernadus must have asked his wards to just hang on for most of the day, the Board President8217;s bowlers saw to it that they didn8217;t. Mumbai paceman Swapnil Hazare, who finished with figures of three for 11 in the first innings, finally broke the Malintha Gajanayake-Chamara Silva8217;s 62-run partnership which had frustrated them much yesterday. The former added just five to his overnight score of 33 before nudging the ball to 8216;keeper Hrishikesh Bangari.

Hazare, a class 12 student ofBhavan8217;s College, finished with another three-wicket haul today and was ably rewarded by the selectors with a berth in the four-day Test.

Bengal8217;s Saurashish Laheri proved to be the next most productive bowler, scalping three for 49.

Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, Chamara Silva held the Lankan innings together with a resilient 73 before Laheri had him caught by Hazare at mid-off. Chamara8217;s 179-minute appearance saw him face 135 balls and strike nine boundaries.

UP speedster Mrityunjay Tripathi who was the wrecker-in-chief 5-37 for the President8217;s boys in the first innings, finished the Lankan innings a little after lunch with two quick wickets.

With the Indian bowlers having paved the way, the batsmen had an easy target of 49 to win. This they achieved without much ado, nine minutes before tea. Arjun Yadav scoring the winning runs with a boundary at long on. Opener Ashu Jain 22 remained unbeaten at the other end. The only hiccup came when left-handed Dheeraj Jadhav was caught by aforward diving Nalin Wijensinghe at silly point off leggie Thilina Kandambi.

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Scoreboard
Board President8217;s XI under-19 1st innings: 280-7
Sri Lanka under-19 1st innings: 58
2nd innings, overnight 162-3: Upeka Fernando camp;b Shyam 49, Jerom Fernando lbw Laheri 17, Malintha Gajanayake c Bangari b Hazare 38, Thilina Kandambi c P Jadhav b Hazare 19, Chamara Silva c Hazare b Laheri 73, Pubude Senevirathne c sub Y Singh b Shyam 27, Duminda Perera c D Jadhav b Laheri 8, Nalin Wejesinghe lbw Hazare 8, Jehan Mubarak c D Jadhav b Tripathi 9, Ranil Dhamika c Bangari b Tripathi 11, Sathpath Kalum not out 0; Extras b7, lb3, w1: 11.

Total all out in 89.5 overs: 270.

Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-69, 3-109, 4-172, 5-211, 6-241, 7-246, 8-258, 9-270.Bowling: Tripathi 13-1-56-2; Hazare 21.5-8-45-3 w1; Asif Murtuza 4-2-15-0; Sorashish Laheri 23-8-49-3, Shyam 28-2-95-2.

Board President8217;s XI 2nd innings: Ashu Jain not out 22, Dheeraj Jadhav c Wijesinghe b Kandambi 10, ArjunYadav not out 8; Extras w1, 8nb: 9.

Total for one wicket in 13.4 overs: 49.

Fall of wickets: 1-40.

Bowling: Dhamika 5-1-14-0 nb5; Perera 5-0-6-0 w1; Kandambi 2-0-19-1 nb3; Mubarak 1.4-0-10-1.