Shillong, Jan 28: Arunachal Pradesh asserted its dominance on the first day of the U-23 men’s Col CK Nayudu Trophy encounter against Meghalaya at the MCA Ground in Shillong. Opting to bat first, Meghalaya faced a challenging situation, being bowled out for 203, while Arunachal Pradesh concluded the day at 101/2.
In line with the recent trend in Shillong, winning the toss prompted teams to opt for fielding first to exploit favorable conditions, particularly conducive to fast bowlers in the early stages of the match.The host team, however, experienced an electrifying start, courtesy of Mrinal Das, who aggressively scored two towering sixes and four fours, racing to 34 from 20 balls before succumbing while attempting one shot too many, caught at extra cover.
While Das took on the bowlers fearlessly, his opening partner Nishanta Chakraborty (8) seemed less at ease. Chakraborty flirted with a widish delivery, narrowly escaping through the slips, only to be bowled shortly afterward. Kush Agarwal (11) and Swastic Chettri (6) also departed quickly, placing the responsibility on captain Kevin Christopher to anchor the innings.Kevin looked well-set, but a swift delivery from Mibom Mosu saw him out lbw for 41 from 42 balls, featuring nine boundaries.
The highlight for Meghalaya supporters came from the unexpected innings of Manish Sharma. The left-hander showcased his batting skills with a delightful knock of 61 from 62 balls, featuring 11 boundaries. However, a sharp catch by Nabam Kama off R Jangra’s bowling concluded Sharma’s impressive run, leading to Meghalaya’s dismissal for 203 early in the second session.
Despite an early breakthrough by Abhishek Kumar (1/38 in 9 overs), Arunachal Pradesh built a solid second-wicket partnership of 85 runs between Leki Tsering (40 from 53) and Amarjeet Sharma (47 not out from 75). Tsering fell to Sudhir Sahani (1/37 in 8), but bad light forced an early end to the day’s play.
