Odisha fall like tenpins

Sambalpur: What transpired at VSS Stadium here on Wednesday was more like a game of tenpins as 15 wickets came tumbling down on the third day of the Group B Ranji Trophy match between Odisha and Vidarbha.
Vidarbha ended their first innings a little after lunch on 240 with their last three wickets falling in the space of six deliveries. But the talk of the day was the batting collapse of the hosts who were reeling at 17 for three at one stage and ended the day on 137 for the loss of nine wickets.
The score means that Odisha are still 104 runs short of a first-innings lead with the tail-enders at the crease and their endeavour for the vital three points looks to be all but over. The tragic hero of the day was Vidarbha top-scorer Ganesh Satish, who held on to his wicket and guided his team through the first session but was caught leg before by Basant Mohanty on 99.
At the end of second day’s play, Vidarbha coach and former India medium pacer Paras Mhambrey had said that his bowlers were capable of defending any score above 220 on a wicket that had enough bounce and a lot more in offing for the bowlers. And, on Wednesday, his pacers did just that. Not only was the score on board more than Mhambrey’s expectations but Vidarbha’s pace trio was also lethal against the Odisha batsmen. Shreekant Wagh and Swapnil Bandiwar claimed three scalps each while Ravi Thakur took two wickets. Spinner Rakesh Dhruve also bagged a wicket for his team. Bandiwar, who looked to be the most dangerous of the lot, however, could not finish his sixth over after he sprained his leg.
It was a disastrous show by Odisha batsmen who fell like a pack of cards on their home turf and were once staring at the prospect of follow-on when they were reduced to 87 for seven. The only semblance of resistance came from Biplab Samantray and Deepak Behera, both of whom fell for 33.
Captain Abhilash Mallick, who had taken the risk of going with bowling even after winning the toss on Tuesday, went for a golden duck and the only top-order batsman to put up a fight against the Vidarbha pace assault was Govind Podder who scored 26.
With No. 10 and 11 Mohanty and Suryakant Pardhan respectively, at the crease, the final act of the tragedy looks set for a short show on the fourth and final day on Thursday.