Baroda thrash Meghalaya by an innings and 217 runs in U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 30, 2024

Kshitij Singhania delivered the innings of his young career but fell short of a deserved century, ending unbeaten on 94 as Meghalaya suffered a heavy defeat by an innings and 217 runs to Baroda in the U-19 Cooch Behar Trophy at the MCA Ground, Polo, on November 30.

Kshitij’s resilient 170-ball knock included 14 fours and a six, helping Meghalaya recover from 5/3 to a final total of 213 on the third afternoon. Earlier, Baroda declared on their overnight score of 608/6, leaving Meghalaya chasing a massive deficit of 430 runs after their first innings collapse for 178.

The morning began disastrously for Meghalaya, losing three of the top four batters for ducks within the first three overs to Het G Patel’s fiery spell. Patel finished with impressive figures of 5/41. However, captain Dipankar Baruah (32 off 68, 7x4s) and Gaurav Narleng (46 off 96, 9x4s) stabilized the innings with a 63-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

After both fell, Meghalaya found hope in another 64-run stand between Kshitij and Shavian Blah (29 off 54, 5x4s). Kshitij reached his half-century with a crisp boundary through the covers, but Blah’s dismissal to a lofted shot left Kshitij fighting alongside the tail. Despite his efforts to shield them, a mix-up in the 75th over led to No. 11 Gaurav Jyoti Thakuria’s run-out, leaving Kshitij stranded six runs short of a century.

This marked Baroda’s fourth consecutive win in Elite Group A, underlining their dominance, while Meghalaya suffered their fourth defeat. MCA Honorary Secretary Gideon Kharkongor highlighted the promising performances of Kshitij, Narleng, and Blah, but stressed the need for improvements in temperament, fielding, and bowling to compete at the Elite level.

Meghalaya’s next match is against Karnataka, starting December 6 in Bangalore.