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Nagpur: Suresh Kumar's 87 proved to be decisive as India Blue held on for a thrilling one-wicket win against India Red at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. He was the lynchpin, even as wickets kept falling around him, playing a very big hand in ensuring the victory.
Ashok Dinda though, would have the final word. Having picked up three wickets earlier, he hit the boundary which sealed the match in Blues' favour, after they needed seven off the last over with just the one wicket in hand.
The chase looked to have been well-planned as Suresh played the anchor role to perfection, even as Ishant Sharma struck at either ends of the innings. Harbhajan Singh, promoted to No.3, after having a good day with the ball, lent good support with a run-a-ball 36. However, with captain MS Dhoni departing on 37, with the score on 161 for 5, the match was tantalisingly poised.
Suresh continued to graft away and soon brought up his fifty in style, clubbing Sudeep Tyagi over long-on for a six. With Jalaj Saxena and Yusuf Pathan departing soon, he was running fast out of partners, though the equation was firmly in Blues' favour.
Two fours in Ishant's ninth over had them in sights of the finish line, but a final sting in the tale remained. Looking for a quick finish, Suresh mishit a slower one form Ishant and Ravindra Jadeja made no mistake running in from mid-on. That was the end of the 47th over.
The task could not looked more imposing, with 12 required off 18, with Dinda and Siddharth Trivedi to come. Munaf Patel, who otherwise had a day to forget, struck in his penultimate over, rearranging Sreesanth's furniture with the second ball. Ishant followed the act, giving away four in the 49th over.
Red captain S Badrinath was a nervous man, as Munaf ran in for his final over. A full delivery first up was hit in the air over cover to the deep by Dinda, as the batsmen sneaked a couple.
A short ball followed, which was pulled along the ground through midwicket for another two. Another terrible delivery from Munaf was simply unpardonable, and Dinda pulled it in the air behind square leg and to the fence for the winning runs.
Brief score
India Red: 248 (Khadiwale 55, Jaggi 54, Harbhajan 3-40)
India Blue: 250 for 9 (Suresh 87, Dinda 8*, Trivedi 4*)
Result: India Blue beat India Red by 1-wicket
Points: India Blue 4, India Red 0
