By Our Reporter
Shillong, Dec 22: Pushkar Raj Singh hit a century for Meghalaya on the first day of their U-19 men’s Cooch Behar Trophy semifinal against Arunachal Pradesh in Anand, Gujarat, on Friday.
Batting first after winning the toss, Meghalaya posted 220 all out in their first innings and then had Arunachal on 53/1 by stumps, trailing by 169 runs.
Anand has been playing host to all of Arunachal’s matches in the tournament this season. Meghalaya had already beaten Arunachal at the same venue during the round robin stage.
Pushkar played a solid knock of 111 from 207 deliveries, which included 17 fours. In fact, Anand has treated him well, with the batter having hit 79 in their round robin match against the same opponents earlier this month.
With his ton on Friday and the 42 by captain Dipankar Baruah, Meghalaya could have perhaps hoped for a 300-plus total but Arunachal’s bowlers, especially Harsh Sharma (5/66), ensured that that was not to be. Dipankar’s innings contained 10 fours, with all but 2 runs coming in boundaries. Apart from their 62-run partnership for the third wicket, Meghalaya struggled with the bat, though Avinash Rai (12) and Kishlay Vishlux (15) tried to give Pushkar company, and they lost their last four wickets for just 14 runs.
The hosts then weathered the Meghalaya attack for 11.2 overs before they lost opener Madhur (22) the next delivery off the bowling of Banialam Mylliemngap (1/10 in 3 overs).
Meghalaya will have to make quick inroads in the morning and dismissing Arunachal for less than 150 will be their target.
In a tradition dating back to the 1945-46 season, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) proudly hosts the Cooch Behar Trophy, a prestigious national four-day cricket tournament exclusively for players under the age of 19. Recognized as a crucial stepping stone for budding cricketers, this tournament has consistently provided a launchpad for young talents to ascend in their cricketing careers.