Ahmedabad
Punjab became the first team to score over 400 twice in the same Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament. Punjab’s recent batting helped them post a staggering score of 426/4 against Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium Ground ‘A’. This was the second time in the tournament that Punjab crossed the 400-run mark, having earlier scored 424 runs for five wickets against Saurashtra in the competition.
The foundation of Punjab’s innings was laid by opener Prabhsimran Singh, whose brilliant century (137) was an example of aggressive batting. This right-handed batsman hit 20 fours and three sixes in his innings and easily destroyed the Hyderabad bowling attack. His innings got Punjab off to a blazing start as he and Abhishek Sharma stitched a massive 196-run partnership for the opening wicket.
While Prabhasimran grabbed the headlines, his opening partner Abhishek played a key role with a quick half-century (93). Sharma’s innings was studded with boundaries as he countered Prabhsimran’s strokes during the powerplay, giving Punjab an early lead. As the innings progressed, the middle order took advantage of the platform created by the openers. Ramandeep Singh (80) and Nehal Wadhera (35) finished the innings brilliantly.
Ramandeep’s quick half-century showcased his ability to clear the ropes, while Wadhera played a vital role in rotating the strike and keeping the pressure on the Hyderabad bowlers. Both of them batted brilliantly in the end and took Punjab to a mammoth score of 426 runs, posing a tough challenge for Hyderabad.
