Deodhar Trophy: Parthiv’s ton comes in a losing cause: Having accumulated 452 runs from 12 innings (remaining unbeaten in 2 occasions), averaging 45.20 with 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries in the Ranji Trophy 2015-16, following it up with a tally of 295 runs from 8 games in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2015, and topping it all with a total of 337 runs from 9 games at an average of 42.12 in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2016, Parthiv Patel, the wicket-keeper-batsman has been constantly banging on the doors of the BCCI selectors. Sandip Patil and Co could not have missed any of his innings had they been following the domestic happenings with all seriousness.
Partihiv has carried his good work in the Deodhar Trophy too. Leading his team Gujarat in the game against Ambatti Rayudu-led India A, played at Green Park, Kanpur, Parthiv stamped his authority with the bat.
Put into bat by India A, Gujarat started off reasonably well, with the openers, Parthiv Patel and Priyank Panchal (26) putting up 81 runs in 16.2 overs, on the board for the first wicket.
The second wicket partnership between Parthiv and Manpreet Juneja (17) yielded 60 runs in 11.5 overs, the bulk of the runs being scored by Patel.
The Gujarat skipper was fighting a lone battle with very little support coming from other batsmen. With the sixth-wicket partnership between Parthiv and Raxlee Taylor (15) realising 34 runs, Gujarat innings ended at 272 runs in 49.2 overs.
Parthiv Patel went on to notch up 119 runs off 125 deliveries with 16 hits to the fence.
For India A, the spinners, Amit Mishra and Parvez Rasool did the honours by picking up 3 wickets each giving away 48 and 47 runs respectively.
The fine innings of Parthiv Patel was not enough to see Gujarat through, since India A, backed by a well made half century (53) by the opener, Murali Vijay, a great innings of 75 runs off 89 deliveries by the skipper Ambatti Rayudu and an unbeaten 91* runs off 71 deliveries, studded with 11 fours and 2 sixes, by Kedar Jadhav, managed to reach the target of 273 runs losing just 4 wickets in 47.2 overs.
Rayudu and Jadhav were also involved in an 83-run partnership in 12.2 overs that completely changed the complexion of the game. With only Mehul Patel claiming 2 wickets from his spell of 9 overs, no other Gujarat bowler could make any significant impact on the India A batsmen.
India A won the contest by 6 wickets with 16 deliveries to spare, bagging 4 points.
