Jadeja lords over West

RAJKOT, JANUARY 19: It was like watching a B-grade Bollywood action flick. Cast full of strugglers, a know-all lead star, a tragic hero, b...

RAJKOT, JANUARY 19: It was like watching a B-grade Bollywood action flick. Cast full of strugglers, a know-all lead star, a tragic hero, breathtaking stunts but a yawning monotony due to a stale storyline. North Zone8217;s 29-run win over West Zone in the Deodhar Trophy match here was the another near-600 affair on a flat stage which saw the batsman getting all the punchline.

The day also had Ajay Jadeja showcasing his suspect arm in manner which could have given Mr Midas a complex. His 91 off 90 balls saw North Zone score a 312 and later proved his 8220;can8217;t throw8221; critics wrong by two darting hurls which accounted for West Zone8217;s top two run scorers Vinod Kambli and Amol Muzumdar. An additional attachment to the OK fitness certificate was his tidy spell of nine overs and wicket as bonus.

This Fly me to Australia8217; show by Jadeja meant West Zone despite Vinod Kambli8217;s Consider me too8217; 106 managed 283-9 at the end of 50 overs.

Scoreboard

North Zone: Ashu Dani run out Kambli 9 12b 18m, 1215;4,Vikram Rathour c Kulkarni b Siddique 33 37b, 69m, 4215;4, Ajay Jadeja c Mongia b Khan 91 90b, 115m, 10215;6, 1215;6, Pankaj Dharmani c Parsana b Khan 70 94b, 134m, 5215;4, 1215;6, Virendra Sehwag run out Khan 66 39b, 46m, 7215;4, 3215;6, Dinesh Mongia c Kale b Mhambrey 11 11b, 13m, 1215;4, Mithun Minhas b Kulkarni 9 9b, 12m, Sarandeep Singh run out Parsana 5 9b, 9b, Amit Bhandari not out 4 3b, 2m, Rahul Sanghvi not out 1 5b, 3m; Extras: 2lb, 5nb, 6w 13. Total: for eight wickets in 50 overs 312
Fall of wickets: 1-17 Dani, 2-74 Rathore, 3-172 Jadeja, 4-266 Sehwaag, 5-274 Mongia, 6-274 Dharmani, 7-305 Minhas, 8-309 Sarandeep
Bowling: Mhambrey 10-0-59-1 1w, 1nb, Khan 10-0-54-2 3w, 4nb, Siddiqui 10-0-68-1, Kulkarni 10-0-56-1, Parsana 10-0-73-0 3w.

West Zone: Wasim Jaffer c Rathour b Robin Jr 21 20b, 20m, 3215;4, Sitanshu Kotak run out Bhandari 28 44b, 95m, 3215;4, Vinod Kambli run out Jadeja 106 131b, 160m, 12215;4, Amol Muzumdar run out Jadeja 4250b, 68m, 2215;4, 1215;6, Hitesh Parsana c Sarandeep b Robin Jr 3 5b, 8m, Abhijit Kale c Sehwag b Sanghvi 20 16b, 18m, 2215;4, Zaheer Khan b Robin Jr 1 2b, 3m, Nayan Mongia not out 29 29b, 31m, 2215;4, Paras Mhambrey c Rathour b Sanghvi 12 4b, 8m, 1215;4, 1215;6, Iqbal Siddiqui lbw Jadeja 2 3b, 3m, Nilesh Kulkarni not out 8 7b, 8m, 1215;4; Extras: 4lb, 5nb, 2w 11. Total: for nine wickets in 50 overs 283.
Fall of wickets: 1-34 Jaffer, 2-115 Kotak, 3-198 Muzumdar, 4-204 Parsana, 5-211 Kambli, 6-219 Zaheer, 7-230 Kale, 8-258 Mhambrey, 9-265 Siddiqui
Bowling: Robin Jr 10-0-53-3, Bhandari 9-0-59-0 2w, 3nb, Jadeja 9-0-56-1 1nb, Sarandeep 10-0-38-0 1nb, Sanghvi 8-0-46-2, Sehwag 4-0-27-0.

Sandeep Dwivedi

Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports. Professional Profile Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website. Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week. Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports. Areas of Expertise While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas: Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant. Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes. Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara. Notable Recent Work & Themes Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success. Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War. The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game. Tenure and Experience Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations. You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More