Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral Sports Desk
PANAJI: Goa made a solid start to their Ranji Trophy Elite ‘B’ Group match against Madhya Pradesh, finishing the first day at 256 for 8 despite a late collapse at the GCA Academy Ground in Porvorim on Saturday.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Goa’s openers Manthan Khutkar (12) and Abhinav Tejrana (12) failed to convert their starts, leaving the side at an early disadvantage. The innings gained momentum when Suyash Prabhudessai and captain Snehal Kauthankar came together for a composed 87-run partnership for the third wicket, the highest of the innings. Prabhudessai’s fluent 65 and Kauthankar’s steady 41 helped Goa recover from early jitters and build a solid platform.
Lalit Yadav (41) and Darshan Misal (44) also chipped in with important contributions in the middle order, but both missed out on well-deserved half-centuries. Their dismissals triggered a mini-collapse, as Goa slipped from a comfortable 213 for 4 to 256 for 8 by the end of the day’s play. At stumps, Deeparaj Gaonkar remained unbeaten on 30, while wicketkeeper Samar Dubhashi and V. Kaushik were yet to bat.
For Madhya Pradesh, off-spinner Saransh Jain was the standout performer, claiming 4 for 72 with disciplined bowling. Support came from Aryan Pandey, Kumar Kartikeya, Kuldeep Sen, and Shubham Sharma, each taking a wicket to keep the pressure on the hosts. Under the watchful eyes of coach Chandrakant Pandit, the MP bowlers maintained tight lines throughout the day.
Goa will resume play on Sunday aiming to cross the 300-run mark and strengthen their position in the match. With Gaonkar set at the crease, the team will be hoping for valuable contributions from the lower order to build a competitive first-innings total against a strong Madhya Pradesh bowling unit.
