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Indore: India Blue needed a big turnaround after Yusuf Pathan punished them on Friday. With India Green already assured of a place in final, this was a do-or-die game for India Blue.
With their backs to wall, India Blue needed inspiration from somebody. Shikhar Dhawan (109, 121b, 14x4) and Ajinkya Rahane (95, 107b, 8x4, 2x6) put their hands up and guided India Blue to a comfortable 111-run victory with bonus point that sealed the Challenger Trophy final berth at Holkar stadium on Sunday. Both teams will clash for the title on Monday.
The 193-run second-wicket stand between Dhawan and Rahane laid the foundation as India Blue scored 100 in the last 10 overs and demolished the India Green bowling to set up a huge 320-8.
India Blue bowlers came out firing on all cylinders and bowled India Green out for 209. New ball bowlers Rudra Pratap Singh and Umesh Yadav bowled well in tandem.
After their opening burst, spinners Ravindra Jadeja, Piyush Chawla and Yuvraj Singh combined well to dry up the runs and then Yo Mahesh polished of the tail to seal the victory.
Once their top order was removed, India Green never looked like chasing 321 and lost wickets at regular intervals. Pune boy Kedar Jadhav (71, 70b, 6x4, 1x6) was the only shining light for Greens.
It is amazing how runs can turn the things around. With runs behind them, Dhawan and Rahane were supremely confident in their shot-making. While the former scored his 8th list A hundred, the latter missed out on a hundred for the second straight game.
Dhawan and Rahane matched each other stroke for stroke. Dhawan started the fireworks hitting Pankaj for two crisp drives before hitting Abhimanyu Mithun through mid on and point.
Rahane too joined the party soon. If his cover drive and pull off Jaskaran Singh was a treat to watch, his six over midwicket of Mithun was even better. They batted sensibly, ran hard and rotated the strike to keep the scoreboard moving.
Rahane let off by wicketkeeper Naman Ojha at 26 and 61 and he made the mistakes count. Manoj Tiwary's cameo (46, 27b, 6x4, 1x6) gave India Blue innings an ideal finish.
India Green skipper surprisingly didn't complete Sarabjit Ladda's full quota. Ladda had picked up four crucial wickets against India Red.
Brief score
India Blue 320 for 8 (Dhawan 109, Rahane 95)
India Green (Jadhav 71, Yo Mahesh 3-34, Jadeja 2-43)
Result India Blue won by 111 runs
Points India Blue 5, India Green -1
