Vijay Merchant Trophy: Midhanshu Das’ 136 puts Odisha firmly ahead as Pondicherry trail by 119 runs on Day 2
Gwalior: Odisha tightened their grip on the Vijay Merchant Trophy U-16 encounter against Pondicherry after a strong all-round showing on Day 2, finishing the day with a 119-run lead at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, here on Tuesday.
Resuming day two at 248/4, Odisha continued to build on their solid first-innings foundation before declaring at 305/6. Midhanshu Das scored a superb 136 off 179 balls, which was studded with 21 boundaries. He found support from Aurobinda Muduli, who played a patient knock of 56 off 166 balls, ensuring Odisha crossed the 300-run mark. For Pondicherry, Anshif was the most effective bowler, returning figures of 4 for 74 from 21 overs, while Bharani chipped in with 1 for 52 from 17 overs.
In reply, Pondicherry reached 186/4 at stumps, trailing Odisha by 119 runs. Abhay Singh held the innings together with a gritty 70 off 130 deliveries, hitting 10 fours, while Pranshu Sorout added valuable runs with a fluent 67 off 75 balls, also hitting 10 boundaries. The pair ensured Pondicherry remained in the contest despite steady pressure from the Odisha bowlers. Himnish Sahu was economical and effective, finishing with 1 for 25 from 13 overs, while Gunjan Sahoo picked up 1 for 35 in 12 overs.
