Tangi (Cuttack), Jan 29: Odisha registered their first Ranji Trophy victory this season on Monday, when they humbled visitors Himachal Pradesh by a convincing 238 runs margin.
Chasing a victory target of 388, Himachal Pradesh were bundled out for 149 in 57.4 overs on Day 4 of a Group D Ranji Trophy match being played at DRIEMS Ground, here.
New ball operator and Odisha pace spearhead Rajesh Mohanty continued his dream run this season as he claimed another fifer.
Mohanty topped the bowling chart in the second innings, with a superb 5/33 figure on a track that helped fast bowlers throughout the match. In the first innings, he grabbed three scalps too.
Seasoned medium pace all-rounder and former Odisha skipper Biplab Samantray once again proved how he can be a handy player even after being overlooked in recent years. He chipped in with two wickets giving away 25 runs in 10 overs.
His contributions on a winning cause were 47 runs with the bat and five vital wickets. He scored 46 in second innings in company of Pattnaik, and claimed three wickets in Himachal's first innings too.
However, the hero of the Odisha victory was top order batter Sandeep Pattnaik, who hit successive tons at the same venue. Pattnaik's 20 in the first innings and 150 in the second, was the real reason of Odisha's dominance in the match.
Odisha have played four matches so far and have won one, lost two and managed a first innings lead in the fourth.
Prior to this victory, Odisha have lost to Baroda by 147 runs in Vadodara, drawn with Madhya Pradesh in Indore (enjoyed first innings lead though), lost to Jammu and Kashmir in DRIEMS Ground, Cuttack by 2 wickets.
Now, with a win over Himachal Pradesh at home, Odisha have accumulated 9 points from four outings. They play their next match at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack against Puducherry from February 2.
Brief Scores:
Odisha 138 & 425/8(d)
Himachal Pradesh 176 & 149.
Odisha won by 238 runs and get 6 points.
Man of the Match (MoM): Sandeep Pattnaik.
