Deodhar Trophy final 2014 Review

Deodhar Trophy final 2014 Review: It was another exciting match as thousands gathered at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai experienced a nail-biting finish in the finals of the Deodhar trophy 2014-15. The East Zone has successfully broke the three consistent title-winning streak of the West Zone by clinching the title as they won the final frontier by 24 runs.

This is the fifth time that the team from the East of India has won Deodhar trophy title. The Indian domestic season was adjusted this season and the limited over’s matches were scheduled before the day matches to allow players like Ambathi Rayudu, Dhawal Kulkarni, Aksar Patel, Ashok Dinda, Kedar Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey among other to make a mark for themselves in the minds of the selectors before they sit down to pick the 30 man squad for the next year’s world cup.

A combined effort of experience and young blood won the title for the East. Not to forget the top performer, Kedar Jadhav whose 91 balls 97 went in vain as no other West Zone batsmen showed enough resistance.

Opting to bat first, the East had the worst start possible in the final match, as they were reduced to 5 for 2 in the fourth over. Ishant Jaggi, who had replaced Deepak Hooda in the match, along with Shreevats Goswami fell early to the West pacers. But then, the 16-year-old Virat Singh and the ever consistent skipper Manoj Tiwary built up the base of their innings which later set the platform for Asam Ranji Trophy skipper Biplab Samantry to blaze it up with an outstanding batting performance scoring 60 runs. The young Virat contributed 54 runs and struck an important partnership while Tiwary was dismissed at the end for 75. Samantry’s innings gave East the right shape and their innings ended at 269 for the loss of 8 wickets.

Pacers of the West, Dhawal Kulkarni, Domnic Muthuswamy put up a satisfactory bowling display with Dhawal taking 2 for 35 and Domnic taking 2 for 57.

Starting the chase under the lights, man of the match Ashok Dinda almost broke the back bone of the West Zone’s top order early in their chase removing Smit Patel for 4, Sheldon Jackson for 7 and then international recruit Ambati Rayudu for 15. Ankit Bawne and Kedar Jadhav though fought them hard and gave them some momentum. Bawne added 28 runs and Jadhav got to a blistering innings before being bowled by Samantry, just 3 runs short of a century. After Bawne returned to the pavillion, came in their skipper, Yusuf Pathan. His stay was not long as he was unfortunately run out for just 3.

Suryakumar Yadav and Aksar Patel, the top performers of the semi-finals started to repeat another handy show but failed to take the game away from the visitors. 3 quick and crucial wickets of Yusuf, Yadav and Jadhav had put up a obstacle for the hosts to win the title for the 4th consecutive time. Yadav went for 35 and Patel departed for 20. It was all done by then and the West were reduced to 245 with 2 overs still remaining.

The centre  of attraction in the second innings was Jadhav, who single-handedly almost won the game with some brutal innings, in which his focus was to just score runs and relied more on power than technique. He was also offered a life by Deobrat Roy, who put down a catch before Jadhav reached his half-century. Man of the match, Ashok Dinda, with his 4 wicket haul utilised his experience completely by leading the bowling attack for the East. He was well supported by the all-rounder Biplab Samantry who after a good hand with the bat also scapled a couple for 52.

The Deodhar trophy has served its purpose quite well and players who were given the tournament as an opportunity impress have done enough and now Sandeep Patil and Co. have a job at hand. Who to pick and who not in India’s 30 probable for the World Cup 2015.