NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2007-08
India Blue v India Red, Final at Ahmedabad
India Blue wins Challenger Trophy
Oct 28, 2007
Dinesh Karthik struck an unbeaten century to anchor India Blue to victory in the NKP Salve Chellenger Trophy, defeating India Red by six wickets with nine overs to spare here Sunday.
Choosing to bat first, India Red were bowled out for 269 in 49.3 overs, opener Gautam Gambhir topscoring with 82.
India Blue recovered from a disastrous start to reach 270 for four in 41 overs, thanks to half-centuries by Suresh Raina (50) and Niraj Patel (62 not out) who ably supported Karthik (116 not out).
India Red were rocked back by a fiery opening spell by Joginder Sharma, who had them struggling at 11 for two in the fourth over. Skipper Mohammad Kaif (22) too did not last long, and only a 111-run partnership for the fourth wicket between Gambhir and Subramaniam Badrinath (55) helped them recover.
A late flourish from Mahesh Rawat (43 not out) enabled India Red go past the 250-mark, with tail ender Shrikant Mundhe (18) and Pragyan Ojha (20) providing some late entertainment.
India Blue's reply too did not begin well as skipper Virender Sehwag (1) fell off the seventh ball of the innings. Ajinkya Rahane and Arjun Yadav were both run out, leaving them teetering at a perilous 55 for three.
Raina and Karthik saw their side past the 100-mark and then Patel took over to see India Blue through without any more alarms.
Kathik deservedly pocketed the Player of the Match award, while Raina was named the Player of the Series.
India Blue 270-4 (41.0 overs) beat India Red 269-10 (49.3 overs) by 6 wickets
India Blue v India Green at Ahmedabad
India Blue to take on India Red in Challenger Trophy final
Oct 27, 2007
India Blue captain Virender Sehwag on Saturday scored a quickfire 75 to guide his team into the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy final where they will meet India Red.
Thanks to Sehwag's 57-ball knock, which contained 14 boundaries and one six and helped him earn a recall to the Indian ODI team, India Blue beat India Green by 91 runs.
The final will be played at the Sardar Patel (Gujarat) Stadium in Motera on Sunday.
India Blue won the toss and piled on 330 for eight wickets in 50 overs and then their bowlers bowled out India Green for 239 in 38.2 overs to win with 11.4 overs to spare.
Karthik's knock, however, failed to keep him in the ODI team announced during the day for the first two matches against Pakistan starting November 5.
The selectors, who met here, also ignored Raina's claim for a comeback. He had also scored a fine 92 against India Red Thursday.
Also starring for India Blue, Saturday, were off-spinner Ramesh Powar and leg-spinner Amit Mishra who took three wickets apiece while Joginder Sharma took two.
India Blue 330-8 (50.0 overs) beat India Green 239-10 (38.2 overs) by 91 runs
India Red v India Green at Ahmedabad
India Red beat India Green by 88 runs
Oct 26, 2007
The second day of the Challenger Series belonged to Subramaniam Badrinath (82 not out) and Gautam Gambhir (73). Both played elegantly to help India Red post a commanding 303 for 7 against India Green today, and thereby help their side to an 88-run win. India Red won with a bonus point and have already qualified for the finals. That leaves the two teams meeting tomorrow— Green and Blue — to decide on the other finalist. If India Blue wins tomorrow’s encounter they will qualify, or else it will boil down to the net run rate.
Both Gambhir and Badrinath seemed to be competing against each other. Interestingly Badrinath was drafted into the Indian team in place of Gambhir during the Australia series after the southpaw got injured. Now, Badrinath would like to retain his spot, while Gambhir would want to get his berth back when the selectors meet here tomorrow to pick the squad for the Pakistan series. And both, with equally good performances, have made the task of the five wise men a bit difficult.
India Red 303-7 (50.0 overs) beat India Green 215-10 (47.0 overs) by 88 runs
India Red v India Blue at Ahmedabad
India Blue beat India Red by 12 runs
Oct 25, 2007
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
Oct 25, 2007
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.
Chawla replaces Kartik for Challenger Series
Oct 22, 2007
Leg spinner Piyush Chawla has been inducted into the India Green cricket team for the October 25-28 N K P Salve Challenger Series to be held at Ahmedabad.
"Murali Kartik has been given a rest. His place will be taken up by Piyush Chawla," said selection panel chief Dilip Vengsarkar on Monday.
Chawla suffered an ankle injury during India's triumphant campaign in the Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa last month and missed the subsequent seven-match ODI series against Australia as well as the one-off T20 Interntional held at Mumbai last Saturday.
The injury to Chawla opened up a place for Kartik who, on his recall to the national team after a 20-month banishment, grabbed the chance with both hands and bowled splendidly.
The left-arm spinner from Railways appears a certainty when the team for the ODI series against Pakistan commencing at Guwahati on November 5 is picked in Ahmedabad on October 27.
Chawla will be playing under Gujarat's attacking wicket keeper batsman Parthiv Patel in the three-team tournament also featuring India Red, led by Mohd Kaif, and India Blue, captained by Virender Sehwag.
The day/night limited overs tournament commences with a clash between India Red and India Blue and the final is slated for October 28.
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