NT Reporter
Porvorim
Chandigarh hold all the cards heading into the final day of their Cooch Behar Trophy (Elite Group D) clash after carving out a hefty 149-run first-innings lead over Goa at the GCA Academy ground, before the hosts offered some resistance with the bat late on Day 3.
Replying to Goa’s 308, Chandigarh powered their way to 457, built almost entirely around a stunning marathon knock from opener Abhimanyu. Resuming on 120, he was relentless through the morning, converting into a commanding 220 studded with 15 fours and six sixes.
Lower-order hands from Aditya, Parth and Gaganpreet kept the board ticking, stretching the lead well beyond comfort.
Goa’s brightest spark came through seamer Shiven Borkar, who bowled with heart across 40.3 overs for his 6 for 117, including five maidens.
It was a lion-hearted effort on an unhelpful surface, and his persistence against settled batters kept Goa in the contest. Mihir Kudalkar chipped in with two, while Chigurupati Venkata and Yash Kasvankar managed one apiece, but breakthroughs arrived too slowly to dent
Chandigarh’s charge.
Forced to dig in second time around, Goa found some stability.
Openers Aditya Kota and Sarthak Bhike put on a gritty 78 in 27.5 overs, blunting the new ball before Sarthak
fell for 32.
By stumps, Aditya was still holding fort with an unbeaten 60 off 134 balls, featuring seven fours, while Shaantanu Nevagi stayed compact on 10*.
The two ensured there was no late-evening wobble and at least nudged the contest into a final-day scrap.
Despite the application, Goa remain 43 runs behind at 106 for 1 in 44 overs, and will need another strong shift on the final day to erase the deficit and force Chandigarh to
bat again.
