Vijay Merchant Trophy: Punjab dominate as Odisha struggle on Day 2

Morena: Punjab tightened their grip on the Vijay Merchant Trophy U-16 multi-day clash against Odisha with a dominant display on Day 2 at the MPCA Ground, after resuming from a strong position built on the opening day.

At the close of Day 1, Punjab were 254 for 8 after being put in to bat, riding on an unbeaten 114 from Shivansh. The batter carried on his resolute knock on Day 2, going on to compile a monumental 176 not out off 307 deliveries, studded with 24 boundaries and a six. He found useful support from Ayaan Srivastava, who contributed 43 runs, as Punjab were eventually bowled out for 371 in 121.4 overs.

For Odisha, Gunjan Sahoo was the standout bowler, claiming 4 for 109, while Sheeben Majhi chipped in with 3 for 78 to bring the innings to a close.

In reply, Odisha’s first innings never gained momentum as they were dismissed for 111 in 35.2 overs. Neil Nitin Mohanty top-scored with an aggressive 44 off 38 balls, striking 10 fours, but lacked support from the rest of the batting line-up. Punjab’s Varun produced a devastating spell, finishing with remarkable figures of 6 for 14 from 10.2 overs, while Shivam Matri picked up two wickets.

Following on, Odisha began their second innings and reached 52 for 3 in 18 overs by stumps on Day 2. Midhansu Das remained unbeaten on 17 off 46 balls, while Bhabatosh Barik scored 20. Punjab’s bowlers kept things tight, with Varun claiming two wickets and Ayaan Srivastava conceding just three runs while picking up one wicket in his four overs.