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Maharashtra batter Rahul Tripathi proved to be the match-winner as the side defeated Goa by 15 runs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). It was his unbeaten inning of 83 that got the Prithvi Shaw-led side to a respectable total and they later went on to defend it thanks to a superb bowling effort.
After being invited to bat first, Maharashtra had an abysmal start as Shaw lost his wicket in the first over itself for just four runs. They would then lose the wicket of Sahil Parakh in the third over cheaply for six runs before Arshin Kulkarni was also sent back to the pavilion in the seventh over as Maharashtra got restricted down to 45/3. Goa then got rid of Yash Nahar for 18 runs as Shaw & Co. lost their fourth wicket even before crossing the 10-over mark.
Tripathi's knock proves to be a game-changer
However, Tripathi would go on to turn things around for Maharashtra by smacking the opposing bowlers all around the park. A 50-run partnership with wicketkeeper Ranjeet Nikam got them over the 100-run mark. Tripathi soon went on to reach his half-century and even though he didn't get much support from the other end, his knock of 83 would see the team reach a fighting total of 161/7 in 20 overs.
In reply, Goa also had a poor start as they lost opener Kashyap Bakhale for just three runs in the second over to Jalaj Saxena. The spinner would then go on to rack up the wicket of Abhinav Tejrana in his very next over before Tanay Sanghavi also joined the party and dismissed Deepraj Gaonkar in the sixth over. Goa then went down to 30/4 as Saxena completed his 3-fer with the scalps of Suyash Prabhudessai.
The duo of Darshan Misal and Lalit Yadav tried to stitch a big partnership, but the former was sent back to the dugout in the 11th over as left-arm spinner Vicky Ostwal got his first wicket of the day. With Goa down to 68/5, Lalit would take matters into his hands and play some fine shots as the Maharashtra bowlers went a little on the back-foot. However, his partner Vikash Singh's dismissal for 19 runs saw the opposition get back into the game.
Goa batters eventually succumb
After getting Vikash's scalp, Ostwal would then dismiss Rajashekhar Harikant for a duck in the same over as Goa got restricted to 128/7. Lalit's fighting knock of 49 would come to an end in the very next over as Sanghavi got his second wicket of the match. Eventually, Goa would get bundled out for 146 runs in 19.3 overs as Maharashtra won the match by a 15-run margin. This victory saw them climb to the third spot with 16 points from seven games in Elite Group B.
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