Vijay Hazare Trophy 2015: Akshay Wakhare ‘means business’

Vijay Hazare Trophy 2015: Akshay Wakhare ‘means business’: Jointly leading the table of ‘top wicket-takers’ in Ranji Trophy 2015 league stage with 49 wickets from 8 matches (16 innings), Akshay Anil Wakhare of Vidarbha, simply ‘means business’, going into the limited-over tournament, Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Playing in the game against Tripura on 15th December 2015, at Airforce Complex Ground, Palam II, Delhi, Wakhare was instrumental in restricting Tripura to a very small total of 166 runs in 47.4 overs and helping his team win the encounter by a huge margin on 158 runs with 13 deliveries to spare.

Tripura won the toss and elected to bat, a decision which might have been regretted by them, as Vidarbha finished their innings.

Losing Faiz Fazal (12) very early in the innings, the wicketkeeper-opener, Jitesh Sharma and Ganesh Satish put the Tripura bowlers to a severe test, as they went on piling runs.

The second wicket partnership between the two realised 168 runs in 30.4 overs and took the team to 201/2 in 38 overs. Jitesh departed after scoring 105 runs off 108 deliveries with 10 fours and a six.

Ganesh Satish continued to occupy the crease and remained unbeaten at the end of the innings and had notched up 140 runs off 134 deliveries with 12 fours and 3 sixes. Vidarbha put up 324/5 in their allotted 50 overs.

Having to chase a mammoth 325 runs for a win, Tripura batsmen crumbled under the pressure as the Vidarbha bowlers tormented them.

Wakhare was the pick of the bowlers as he accounted for Rakesh Solanki (9), Manishankar Bhagyamani Mura Singh (6) and NN Sen Choudhury (2).

He returned with the analysis of 9-2-29-3. Wakhare, who has had a successful Ranji Trophy league stage appear to be carrying on the good work in the limited overs tournament as well.