da bet7k： Badri Attavar (136) and D Dhandapani (53) with an unfinishedsixth wicket partnership of 133 runs off 33.2 overs saw TNCAPresident’s XI end the first day of their Buchi Babu all Indiainvitation cricket tournament prequarterfinal against ONGC at the
Partab Ramchand20-Aug-2000Badri Attavar (136) and D Dhandapani (53) with an unfinishedsixth wicket partnership of 133 runs off 33.2 overs saw TNCAPresident’s XI end the first day of their Buchi Babu all Indiainvitation cricket tournament prequarterfinal against ONGC at theAC Tech grounds in Chennai on a happy note. After being 163 forfive shortly before tea, the State’s second string were able topost a much more healthy looking 296 for five from 95 overs atstumps.Winning the toss, TNCA President’s XI were given a fair startwith openers Ravindran John (24) and SP Lakshmi Kumar (33)putting on 49 runs off 14 overs. Satyajit Medappa (12) did notlast long but Attavar and Sunil Viswanathan (25) got the hometeam going again with a steady fourth wicket partnership of 56runs off 24.2 overs. The fall of Viswanathan and R Prasanna (1)in successive overs however saw the TNCA President’s XI in arather shaky position. But they need not have worried. ForAttavar and Dhandapani then came together for their rescue act.Attavar played the anchor role to perfection and by stumps he hadbatted 333 minutes, faced 249 balls and hit 17 fours. Dhandapani,matching Attavar in run production, has so far batted 140 minutesfor his 53. He has dispatched nine of the 102 balls he has facedto the ropes.The varied ONGC attack made little impression. Virender Sehwagpicked up the wickets of Medappa and Viswanathan for 50 runs buthe bowled only 14 overs. Rahul Sanghvi sent down 25 overs andtook the wickets of Lakshmi Kumar and Prasanna for 74 runs whileAmit Bhandari went wicketless despite bowling 18 overs.