da fezbet： Dinesh Mongia, with a gallant 123, sustained the Chemplast innings onthe opening day of their three day KSCA All India invitationtournament final for the Coromandel Cement Trophy against IndiaPistons at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on
Partab Ramchand15-Aug-2000Dinesh Mongia, with a gallant 123, sustained the Chemplast innings onthe opening day of their three day KSCA All India invitationtournament final for the Coromandel Cement Trophy against IndiaPistons at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Tuesday. Thanksin the main to Mongia’s five hour vigil at the crease, India Pistons,who were put in to bat, scored 267 in 89.3 overs before being all outshortly before close.Chemplast openers Ganesh Kumar (19) and S Badrinath (18) put on 31runs off 7.2 overs before the former was caught at second slip byPankaj Dharmani off Shahbuddin. Badrinath, who hit only one boundarydespite facing 65 balls, was caught behind by Reuben Paul off RobinSingh. After Badrinath fell at 74, Mongia who had come in at the fallof Ganesh Kumar’s wicket, and Jacob Martin added 61 runs for the thirdwicket off 23 overs. Martin then gave WD Balaji Rao a return catch.The India batsman faced 59 balls for his 25. Ajay Kudua (9) did notlast long, being caught by Paul off medium pacer Gagandpeep Singh.Skipper Diwakar Vasu and Mongia steadied the innings with a fifthwicket partnership of 57 runs off 19.4 overs. By the time Vasu hitRobin Singh to mid on where Satyajit Medappa completed the catch, hehad made 25 off 59 balls.The tail did not give Mongia the kind of support he would haverequired but he continued to bat with aplomb. Mongia was fortunate ona couple of occasions. When 17 he was bowled by a no ball fromGagandeep Singh. Then at 37 he was dropped by Vikram Rathour at firstslip off Balaji Rao. Undeterred, he reached his century off 199 ballsand thereafter kept going even as his partners were falling fast.Subash Raj who came in when Vasu was out was run out for seven.Wicketkeeper TR Arasu was bowled by Balaji Rao for seven. Ramkumar wascaught at first slip by Rathour off Balaji first ball. Mongia wasfinally ninth out at 249 in the 81st over. He tried a big hit offRobin Singh but was held at long off by Satyajit Medappa. For his 123,Mongia faced 221 balls and hit 12 fours and a six. Last man L Balajiwas stumped by Paul off Balaji Rao for seven leaving Tinu Yohannan notout with seven. Losing their last six wickets for 54 runs could nothave made Chemplast very happy at the end of the day. Indeed, at 213for four after 68 overs, a total in excess of 300 was on the cards.Leg spinner Balaji Rao, thanks to his three wickets late in theinnings was the most successful bowler with four for 84 off 28.3overs. But Robin Singh too played his part in removing three of thefirst six in the batting order for a total of 57 runs off 25 overs.Medium pacers Gagandeep Singh and Shahbuddin took one wicket each.