Related Links : Challenger Trophy 2007/08 : Scorecard
Captain Virender Sehwag’s timely 75 has not only got him selected in the Indian team but has also carried his India Blue side in the Final. India Blue on the base of a top order run riot hit the highest total of the tournament – 330 for 8 which was too good for the Parthiv Patel led India Green team.
It wasn’t just Virender Sehwag (75 from 57 with 14 fours and a six) who was amongst the runs. Arjun Yadav, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik also got to half centuries to complete a superlative batting show which was aided by some lousy bowling efforts. Sehwag started off cautiously but once he got set on a slow wicket, there was hardly any looking back until he got deceived by a beautiful arm ball from Iqbal Abdulla that cleaned him up. Arjun Yadav, son of former Indian Off Spinner Shivlal Yadav came in at no.3 and batted superbly to prove many of his critics wrong. Arjun’s lofted shots were a treat to watch as he showed lot of ease and smoothness in those shots, often lifting them with lot of wrist work. He made 65 in 75 with 6 fours and 2 sixes before a tame dismissal. Suresh Raina made a rapid 64 from 51 with 4 fours and 2 sixes while Dinesh Karthik, who wasn’t aware of being dropped from the Indian team got 65 from 48 with 7 fours and a six.
Once again, Munaf Patel and Piyush Chawla struggled to stamp their class although it was a much better show this time round. Parthiv Patel was forced to use eight bowlers! It was a tall task for the Greens but the Skipper Parthiv Patel got a wonderful partnership going with the classy Rohit Sharma. It was a good bowling spell from Joginder Sharma at the start though, mixing up his swing bowling with some surprise bouncers. Joginder broke the third wicket partnership by running out Parthiv (53 from 50 with 8 fours). Rohit Sharma (48 from 47 with 6 fours and a six) got out in the same 20th over after getting stumped down the legside off Ramesh Powar. After this partnership, no one else could put up any sort of fight as the Greens collapsed in the 39th over, getting all out for 239. Spinners Ramesh Powar and Amit Mishra took three wickets each. The Man of the Match was Virender Sehwag.