Sourav Ganguly sets chepauk afire with electrifying 142

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly set Chepauk afire on Tuesday. He did pretty much what he wanted with the India B attack to score an electrifying 142 off 106 balls as India Seniors finished with the record total of 392 for six in 50 overs in the Challenger Series match at the floodlit MA Chidambaram stadium.

The total compiled by India Seniors was the highest in domestic one day cricket. The previous highest was 379 for eight by Wills XI against Hyderabad at Rajkot in the Wills Trophy tournament in 1995-96.

In reply, India B with Sachin Tendulkar getting a sparkling 77 and Dinesh Mongia a superb 102 stayed in the fight for some time but in the face of an unlikely target, they faltered and were all out for 362 in 46.4 overs go give India Seniors a 30 run victory, their first in the competition. Yesterday, India Seniors had lost to India A by four wickets. Tomorrow, India A take on India B in the final round robin match before the two top teams meet in the final on February 15. Electing to bat on winning the toss, India Seniors were of to flying start straightaway with Ganguly and Shiv Sundar Das getting to an early rhythm against Dodda Ganesh and Surendra Singh. The left arm pacer Surendra Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, failed to make an impression. In the fifth over of the day, Ganguly was caught while hooking at a short pitched bouncer. The ball was judged to be a no ball by the square leg umpire and Ganguly got a reprieve.

Das (25, 35 balls, 3 fours) was the first batsman to be dismissed, bowled by JP Yadav in the 11th over. That was the only success India A had in the first 15 overs.

Ganguly was in his stride early, sweetly timing his strokes on the off-side to the ropes. In the 14th over of the innings bowled by Nikhil Chopra, Ganguly struck two mighty blows into the fence, the second one sailing over the long-on for a six.

VVS Laxman batted confidently until Tendulkar made one ball to spin sharply in to him and he was comprehensively bowled. Laxman made 36 runs off just 40 balls with the help of five boundaries.

Thereafter it was all Ganguly. Md Kaif was struck high and handsome over long-off by Ganguly who thus got his hundred in just 95 balls. In the following over from the pavilion end, Sachin Tendulkar got some of the Ganguly medicine, a six over long-off that hit the top of the roof.

Left-arm orthodox spinner Sukhbinder Singh came onto bowl replacing an expensive Mohd Kaif at the far end to bowl the 31st over of the innings. It turned out to a most eventful over.

The first ball of the Sukhbinder over was fended of defensively. The next six balls read like this: 6, 6, 4, 6, 6, 4. There were two no balls in that making it an eight ball over. The last ball too was hit high into the sky and JP Yadav stood under it and took a well judged catch. There were 34 runs off the over along with the wicket of Ganguly. Talk about an eventful over.

Ganguly scored 142 runs off just 106 balls including ten boundaries and nine sixes. The six he hit off Mohd Kaif high and out of the stadium over the square-leg was easily vintage Ganguly. India Seniors were 246/3 off 31 overs at the fall of Ganguly.

Virender Shewag was bowled for a duck by Surendra Singh who also accounted for the dangerous looking Yuvraj Singh, who started off a bit tentatively but blossomed into some good form, striking the ball cleanly to the fence. Before being well caught by Tendulkar at longon, he had made 51 runs off 53 balls with five boundaries in it.

Hemang Badani, Yuvraj Singh and Vikram Rathour then played explosive cricket but the afternoon belonged to Ganguly for his thunderous innings.

Badani made 70 in 65 balls including a six and five boundaries. He was well caught by Chopra off the bowling of Ganesh in the 47th over, India Seniors were 342/4 at that stage. Earlier on Badani had two escapes in one over. First a diving Kaif dropped him at long-on and then Dahiya missed an easy stumping off Nikhil Chopra. Badani's innings was a masterly one, with a handsome six over long-on off Chopra.

In the last ten overs, India seniors made merry, scoring 104 runs to take their total to 392/6 at the end of 50 overs. Vikram Rathour played a cameo of an unbeaten 30 off just 11 balls, including four sixes.

When India B batted, Sachin Tendulkar led India B's chase as they went after an improbable target. He cut loose in the fifth over, bowled by Srinath, flicking and pulling the India fast bowler for consecutive fours. Mohanty was also not spared, a pull off the front foot and a cracking square cut was just a warning of things to follow.

JP Yadav played some crisp strokes to make 24 runs off just 26 balls, before being run out by a direct hit from Yuvraj Singh. Amay Khurasia was distinctly unlucky to be given out lbw, the ball being a bit too high to hit the stumps. Sukhbinder Singh was sent in next.

Ganguly came in to bowl and Tendulkar dismissed him twice to the fence with disdain. Sukhbinder played a rousing square drive for four, but was caught by Das off the last ball of the over. Sukhbinder made just five runs. India B were now 90/3 in 12 overs.

Tendulkar was in tremendous form, as he made the India Senior bowlers look ordinary on a batting paradise of a pitch. The stadium filled up considerably and the crowd cheered every stroke from Tendulkar's bat. There was a chilling silence for a moment when Tendulkar pulled Srinath in the air to the square leg fence; they erupted into a explosive cheer when Shewag spilled the catch.

India B lost Tendulkar in the 19th over, when he was caught by Ganguly at mid-wicket off Nehra. Tendulkar played a pull shot in the air and straight at Ganguly's throat. He made 77 runs of just 59 balls with 13 fours. India B were reduced to 132/4 at that stage.

Even after Tendulkar's departure, India B did not give up. Captain Robin Singh and Dinesh Mongia, both left handers, ran like hares between wickets and picked up the odd boundary in the over.

Robin Singh walked out to a round of thunderous applause. More than going in for big shots he and Mongia relied on quick running. The 37- year-old Robin made his much younger partner run like crazy between the wickets. In the process, they survived a close run out appeal.

Robin got his half century and then Mongia reached his hundred. But after the fifth wicket stand had realised 152 runs off 20.4 overs, Mongia lofted Nehra to Shewag in the country. The dashing 23-year-old left hander from Punjab faced just 87 balls for his 102, hitting ten fours and two sixes.

Shortly afterwards Robin Singh for a second run was run out for a gallant 64. The veteran from Tamil Nadu faced only 66 balls and hit four boundaries. In the next over, Dahiya was bowled by Ganguly and India B's slim hopes receded.

Md Kaif revived these hopes by some clean hitting. He hit three fours and two sixes in rushing to 40 off just 21 balls. He and Nikhil Chopra (15) added 41 runs for the eighth wicket off only 2.5 overs. But then Chopra and Kaif were both run out in quick succession and Badani brought the match to a conclusion by taking a fine low catch to dismiss Ganesh.