Deodhar Trophy: Nadeem, Markande Run Riot as India B Beat India A

Cricketnext Staff | Updated: October 23, 2018, 5:20 PM IST

Shahbaz Nadeem and Mayank Markande combined to help India B beat India A by 43 runs in a tightly contested Deodhar Trophy game at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Tuesday (October 23).

Nadeem picked up 3 for 32 from his 10 overs while leg-spinner Markande bagged 4 for 48 as India A were bowled out for 218 in reply to India B's 261 for 8. The game swung both ways during the chase, but Nadeem decisively turned it India B's way with the wicket of Dinesh Karthik, who made 99, in the 44th over. At that stage, India A needed 48 off 37 but Karthik's dismissal triggered a lower-order collapse with no fight.

The chase started with Nadeem having Prithvi Shaw and Karun Nair lbw off successive deliveries in identical fashion. Nair fell for a first-ball duck, while Shaw was unlucky to be given out despite an inside edge.

The score went from 8 for 2 to 36 for 3 when Anmolpreet Singh was undone by a knuckle ball from Deepak Chahar, which he pulled straight to square leg. Karthik began in a solid fashion at the other end, scoring crisp boundaries through the off-side.

He went about his task in a typically busy fashion, but Varun Aaron derailed the chase at the other end with the wickets of Ankeet Bawne and Krunal Pandya.

At 87 for 5 in th 20th over, India A were in trouble but the Tamil Nadu pair of R Ashwin and Dinesh Karthik revived the chase with a solid 123-run stand. Karthik was fluent with his strokes and composed in his approach, while Ashwin too collected runs with elegant batting.

India A seemed in control of the chase but Ashwin's wicket in the 43rd over - stumped off Markande while trying an ugly slog - induced some drama. In the very next over, Nadeem had Karthik caught and bowled with his last ball of his spell to change the game around completely. Nadeem could have had Karthik the previous ball too, but the wicketkeeper dropped a simple catch.

Markande then had Shreyas Gopal and Dhawal Kulkarni in the very next over and the rest of the game was a mere formality.

Earlier, opting to bat, India B were powered by half-centuries from Hanuma Vihari (87) and Manoj Tiwary (52). Opener Ruturaj Gaikwad fell for 2 but Mayank Agarwal and Shreyas Iyer scored 40s to set a decent platform.

Vihari and Tiwary took over with a 99-run stand for the fourth wicket before the latter was run out. Regular fall of wickets meant India B didn't get a strong finish, but it was just about enough for them to get a winning total.