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Nagpur: A 265-run opening stand - the highest such partnership in the Challenger Trophy - between Wasim Jaffer and Abhinav Mukund flattened India Green and carried India Red into the final.
Jaffer top-scored with a run-a-ball 143 and Mukund continued his amazing run of form with 114 as Red put up a mammoth total of 351 for 2. After Tanmay Srivastava and Srikkanth Anirudha added a century opening stand in good time, Red meandered without much purpose and ended up with 263 for 9.
After Blue opted to bat, Mukund and Jaffer played out the first four overs quietly. In the fifth, bowled by Vikramjeet Malik, they took 18 and increased the rate from there on. Dhawal Kulkarni, who began very tidily, should have had Jaffer on 28 but dropped an easy return catch during a maiden ninth over. Kulkarni lost his line hereon and Jaffer went on to cross his half-century off off 59 balls. Mukund's half-century came up off 71 balls.
Malik, who opened the attack for Green, bore the brunt of the powerful Red batting. His first three overs cost 32, his fourth went for 11, and when he came back for a third spell after 42 overs Dhoni and Pathan took him apart. Malik had the most expensive figures of the innings (7-0-81-0), and none of the overs bowlers, apart from Anirudha, went for less than 5.60.
Brief score
India Blue: 351 for 2 (Jaffer 143, Mukund 114)
India Green: 263 for 9(Srivastava 100, Anirudha 63)
Result: India Blue win by 88 runs
Points: India Blue 5, India Green -1
