NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2007-08

India Red v India Blue at Ahmedabad

India Blue beat India Red by 12 runs

India Blue defeated India Red by 12 runs in the opening 50-over match of the N K P Salve Challenger Trophy in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
Chasing a target of 247 set by India Blue, the Red could muster 234 for eight wickets in 50 overs in the day-night encounter at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Earlier in the day, a stroke-filled 92 by Suresh Raina helped India Blue to recover from a shaky start and post a respectable 246 in 50 overs. Openers failed to give the Blue a good start as Ajinkya Rahane failed to open his account and captain Virender Sehwag (9) failed to impress selectors once again.
Early strikes from Praveen Kumar and Sidharth Trivedi reduced India Blue to 41 for four in the 12th over. But Raina and Neeraj Patel (35) added 87 runs for the fifth wickets to bail out India Blue from a precarious situation. Kumar was the most successful bowler with his four for 42 from 10 overs while Trivedi picked up three for 52 from as many overs. India Red also started their chase on a poor note and the batsmen failed to put up a respectable show and stitch good partnerships. Mahesh Rawat was the top scorer with 47 while captain Mohammed Kaif scored 42 and Subramaniam Badrinath contributed 41.

India Blue 246-10 (49.3 overs) beat India Red 234-8 (50 overs) by 12 runs

Challenger Trophy set for kick-off

The premier domestic limited overs tournament, N K P Salve Challenger Trophy, begins in Motera on Thursday with the spotlight on fringe players who get another chance to impress selectors before announcement of Indian squad for the home series against Pakistan.
Sehwag's India Blue will clash with India Red, led by Mohammad Kaif, in the series opener on Thursday. Kaif will also be looking to flourish with the bat during the series, which is expected to be witnessed by the selectors at the Sardar Patel Gujarat stadium. The squad for the upcoming series against Pakistan will be announced on the sidelines of the Challenger Trophy tournament.
Kaif has been out of the Indian one-day squad since November last year, when he made just 10 runs in a ODI match against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. Other India Red players including left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir, S Badrinath and pacer Ishant Sharma, who recently represented India, will try to cement their places in the national side.
Looking to impress the selectors, will be young Suresh Raina (India Blue) who last played an ODI in the home series against the West Indies in January. Other players from the India Blue team including wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik, all-rounder Joginder Sharma, off-spinner Ramesh Powar and Bengal paceman Ranadeb Bose will also be trying to put up impressive performances.

NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2007-08

India Red v India Blue at Ahmedabad

Scores

India Blue

A Rahane b Kumar 0
V Sehwag c B’nath b Kumar 9
Asnodkar c Sharma b Trivedi 19
D Kaarthick lbw b Kumar 0
S Raina c Kohli b Trivedi 92
N Patel c Kaif b Ojha 35
J Sharma c Kumar b Trivedi 27
A Mishra not out 29
R Powar lbw b Kumar 21
V YoMahesh lbw b Mundhe 1
R Bose b Ishant 3

Extras: (lb 1, w 7, nb 2) 10

Total (all out; 49.3 overs) 246

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-23 , 3-23, 4-41 , 5-128 , 6-177 , 7-202, 8-236 , 9-237

Bowling: Praveen Kumar 10-0-42-4, Ishant Sharma 9.3-1-43-1, Siddharth Trivedi 10-3-52-3, Srikanth Mundhe 8-2-43-1. Pragyan Ojha 10-0-50-1; Subramanium Badrinath 2-0-15-0

India Red

R Ricky c Sehwag b Bose 10
G Gambhir run out Sehwag 0
M Kaif c Asnodkar b Joginder 42
V Kohli b Mishra 30
S Badrinath b Mishra 41
M Rawat b Joginder 47
P Kumar c Raina b Sehwag 37
S Mundhe not out 12
S Trivedi b Joginder 1
P Ojha not out 2

Extras: (lb 1,w 7, nb) 12

Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 234

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-35, 3-70, 4-105, 5-153, 6-215, 7-221, 8-223

Bowling: R Bose 8.1-1-34-1; Joginder 10-1-30-3; Yo Mahesh 8.5-0-58-0; A Mishra 10-0-40-2; R Powar 7-0-33-0; N Patel 1-0-6-0; V Sehwag 5-0-32-1.