New Delhi: Odisha ended their 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign on a dismal note, losing by 7 wickets to Delhi despite having scored 440 in the first innings.
Their fourth defeat in seven games meant that Odisha finished a lowly seventh among eight teams in Elite Group D. They managed just 12 points, courtesy of a solitary outright win and two draws with first-innings lead.
Having conceded a narrow 11-run first-innings lead at stumps on Sunday, a draw looked to be the most likely result with just a day’s play left.
However, Odisha began their second innings on the last morning at the Jamia Milia Islamia ground in a catastrophic manner.
They lost the top three batters – Swastik Samal, skipper Shantanu Mishra and Sandeep Pattanaik – without a run on the board. Subhranshu Senapati was back in the hut soon after hitting a boundary, leaving Odisha on a sorry 4/4 with medium-pacers Himanshu Chauhan and Pranshu Vijayran bagging two wickets each.
Left-arm spinner Sumit Mathur then got into the thick of action to cut short Odisha’s hopes of a revival. Playing his maiden first-class game, Mathur ran through the middle and lower order with a brilliant effort of 5/26 to finish with 9 wickets in the game and the Player of the Match award.
Wicketkeeper-batter Aashirwad Swain top-scored for Odisha with 29.
Left to chase 123 for outright victory, Delhi raced to the target in 20.3 overs thanks to a 33-ball unbeaten 40 by Ayush Badoni.
Brief Scores
Odisha 440 & 133 (Aashirwad Swain 29; Sumit Mathur 5/26, Himanshu Chauhan 2/22).
Delhi 451 & 123/3 (Ayush Badoni 40 not out; JB Mohapatra 2/45).
Result: Delhi beat Odisha by 7 wickets.
Final Group D standings: Odisha 7th (12 pts in 7 matches), Delhi 3rd (20 in 7).
