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Nagpur: Robin Uthappa's fine form in the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy continued, helping India Green post a 79-run win over India Blue, securing a spot in Thursday's final against India Red.
Uthappa and fellow Green opener Srikkanth Anirudha scored hundreds, adding 203 runs for the opening wicket here at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. Despite a poor show by the Green middle-order, they still managed to post 348-9.
Blue offered a spirited chase despite the injury to their captain Subramanian Badrinath. Saurabh Tiwary (74), Murali Vijay (45) and Dinesh Karthik (49) kept the momentum going. But Manish Pandey's fall practically sealed the game.
Uthappa, having made a 70-ball hundred, retired hurt since the new rules don't allow use of a runner. Shortly afterwards, Anirudha (111, 88b, 13x4, 2x6) completed his hundred in just 79 balls. Uthappa eventually fell for 132 (103b, 14x4, 3x6).
Despite, this explosive start of 203 in just 23 overs, nobody else in the Green middle order crossed 20.
A tremendous late spell by Blue seamer Pradeep Sangwan (4-58), in which he took 3-6 in his final two overs, kept Green under 350 when they had looked good for much more.
In a high-scoring game, Green skipper Harbhajan Singh bowled impressively taking 2-40 in nine overs. But the highlight of the innings was Iqbal Abdulla's delivery to dismiss Vijay.
Abdulla bowled the perfect left-arm spinner's delivery to the right-handed Vijay. The ball pitched around middle, beating Vijay's forward defense in the flight, and spinning away from him into the off-stump.
Brief scores
India Green 348 for 9 (Uthappa 132, Anirudha 111, Sangwan 4-58)
India Blue 269 (Tiwary 74, Fallah 3-59)
Results India Green beat India Blue by 79 runs
MOM Robin Uthappa (India Green)
