Coimbatore
Nishant Kushwah scored a timely 106 (256b, 16x4) and Sahab Yuvraj followed it up an unbeaten 92 (172b, 14x4, 2x6) as Indian Railways chugged along slowly and steadily to finish the opening day at 251 for four against TNCA President’s XI in the all-India Buchi Babu invitation cricket tournament at the Sri Ramakrishna Institutions grounds here on Tuesday.
After losing three wickets early on to pacemen Sandeep Warrier (3/47) and M. Mohammed, Railways went on the defensive. It knew it was all about being patient on a pitch that had some juice in it for the fast bowlers.
The left-handed opener Kushwah first forged a stand with partner Sahab Yuvraj and, soon after lunch, went on the hunt. The former took the calculated risks while the latter stuck to the task of giving him the right kind of company that the team badly wanted. It paid big time as the duo powered their way to a solid 167-run stand for the fourth wicket that saw the team back in command.
Vijay Shankar, the host skipper, shuffled his bowlers time and again to break the growing partnership but found it hard. With time running out and the duo busy ticking the scorecard with some of the best shots in the book, the skipper desperately searched for answers and finally got the prized wicket of Kushwah through a Warrier beauty. And, the team heaved a huge sigh of relief.
The scores (first day):
Railways 251/4 in 87 overs (Nishant Kushwah 106, Sahab Yuvraj 92 batting) vs. TNCA President’s XI.
