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Journalism of Courage
They have been friends for long but this was probably their best moment together. Gritty batting from Sanjay Pandey and Devendra Bundela helped Madhya Pradesh, in just their second ever Elite Division match, deny Mumbai a victory — and in the event also walk away with both points awarded in the match.
The childhood chums frustrated the Mumbai team for close to 129 minutes in a last-wicket stand that took the score from 157-9 to 222. More importantly, they ate up precious minutes so that by the time Mumbai came out to bat they had only 33 overs to chase 244. They eventually pulled the shutters down at 81-4.
Bundela, living like a cat with nine lives (five in all in the match), survived close calls and thrived on the inept umpiring, while as Pandey at the other end refused to give in.
‘‘We know each other’s game very well’’, Pandey later said, and that knowledge helped immensely in the end. There were no agricultural shots attempted. No undue risks taken, just pure grafting by the accomplished Bundela and less fancied fast bowling partner Pandey.
Once, just once, Pandey attempted a wild hoick over midwicket but immediately checked himself. ‘‘I had a job to do. Thankfully I didn’t hit it for six or I would have attempted it again and maybe got out’’, he later joked.
As Madhya Pradesh skipper Amay Khurasiya summed it up late in the day, ‘‘My side went in with belief and did not merely live on hope.’’
By the time Mumbai came out to bat Pandey’s toe was injured by a ball that caught him flush; he could barely walk. Yet the tall energetic fast bowler put on his bowling spikes and threw down an interesting first spell that both picked up Mumbai wickets and then kept the batsmen in check.
Match saved, Pandey put his feet in ice. For his team, there are miles to go but they have made a good start.
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