The 200-run mark has been breached 30 times in Madhya Pradesh T20 League this year, with 11 games yet to come. Many shots have cleared the roof of the Holkar Stadium, a mean feat notwithstanding the small size of the ground. Avesh Khan and Aman Bhadoriya splurged 65 each to concede 258, a target their team Chambal Ghariyals hunted down with three balls to spare thanks to Ankush Singh’s 32-ball hundred. Even in the grander scheme of things, the contest between bat and ball has been quite lopsided, as both Sarthak Dev and Naman Agarwal noted in their recent contributions to White Glove.
Hence, Madhav Tiwari’s spell against Indore Pink Panthers came like a breath of fresh air. He took the new ball from the Aditya Birla end, rocking the top-order that had come into its own after a bumpy start to the season. His immaculate seam presentation made the ball jag back upon pitching, castling Atharva Joshi and Karan Tahilyani up top before a second spell ousted Sidhant Agravwal. He was pumped after that dismissal, for the right-hander had fetched a six on the previous delivery. The sweet belligerence inflicted by Madhav got the opponent sporting a very un-pantherlike demeanour, for after a dozen overs they were stuck at 52-6, a scoreline that doesn’t align with the hemorrhaging run flow in this edition.
While Atharv swung across the line after a slow beginning to meet his fate, Karan lost his stumps to an unplayable nut that James Anderson would be proud of. Madhav pitched the ball in the fourth stump channel; the ideal release ensuring it lands on the thread to deviate from its path. A technically sound batter who played a marathon knock of 361 versus Sagar division two summers ago, Karan leaned forward into the defence only for the good-length gem to breach through the gate. The batter took a while to process his downfall before walking back to the pavilion in the solemn style he crafted a fifty against Bhopal Leopards. Perhaps a bit of footwork could’ve saved him on that occasion; rest assured there was plenty of time to mull over his technique in the dugout.
Returning from a stint with Delhi Capitals, Madhav has lived up to his billing at Ujjain Falcons. His 12 wickets have included the prized scalps of Rahul Chandrol, an opener setting the tone with his class and creativity, as well as Kuldeep Gehi, who marmalized 34 off an Aman over. Himanshu Mantri, with scores of 61(27) and 46(30) also fell prey to Madhav in his initial spell, however there is a lot of scope for improvement in his death bowling. An economy of 9.56 is suggestive of the leak at the rear end, best exemplified by the three sixes Akhil Nigote Yadav pinched in quick succession in the early days of the tournament.
During that time, Jabalpur Royal Lions had pocketed an easy victory, set up by their five-pronged pace attack. After the match, Puneet Datey told this publication about the lateral movement that SG Test Limited Edition ball offers in the first couple of overs, and how hitting the hard lengths is crucial to extract whatever little juice is there in the deck. Since MPLT20 features 48 matches in a three-week window, the pitch curators prepare either a red or black-soil strip every night and the next double-header is carried out in its entirety on that surface. At times, the morning sun isn’t harsh enough to be able to suck the moisture out of the surface totally, leaving the conditions in favour of the pace merchants when the action begins.
By constantly hurling the three-quarter ball, Madhav made the most of the slight dampness. Such was the influence of the elements that even after Venkatesh Iyer had somewhat rescued Indore Pink Panthers from 41/6, Aryan Pandey squared up Shubham Rathore to clip a bail off its groove. At the non-striker’s end Iyer threw his head back in disbelief, cognizant of the importance of that blow given their fifty partnership. In the second half, Ujjain Falcons found themselves in a similar quandary.
Shivam Shukla’s wrong ‘uns proved a handful for Rishi Miglani and Shubham Kushwah; the dip doing the left-right combination dirty. A low scooter hit the base of Ojaswa Yadav’s poles and suddenly, a chase of 142 appeared to be more than a cakewalk. Enter Madhav, taking the sting out of the situation from 51/4 with a helping hand worth 31 runs. Aryan Pandey, his companion in the arduous rebuilding mission, went on to apply the finishing touches and stayed unbeaten on 56. The majority of his boundaries came square of the wicket, thanks to a penchant for cutting and sweeping. Ujjain Falcons eventually got home in the penultimate over in a fixture that tested their batting depth with a multitude of challenges – turn, pressure, and variable bounce.
“I’m not satisfied with our finish because we should’ve wrapped things up earlier from a net run rate perspective,’’ Madhav said. ‘’Although, kudos to Aryan for the maturity with which he anchored our innings.’’
He is a cricketer carved out of the same mould as Madhav – a tall fast bowling all-rounder. Albeit his run-up is longer than the IPL contract holder he shares the dressing room with. Aryan has been a regular for Madhya Pradesh in Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy over the last few seasons. He would do well to retain the hunger that drives an individual to push for higher honours, and Madhav is a fine example in case he needs some inspiration.
The wavy-haired youngster, who trains under Amay Khurasia, was upset with short third man after a ballooning edge eluded his reach. To borrow a social media slang, it was a valid crashout. After all, Madhav was denied his fourth wicket. That brief moment was proof enough that he wasn’t resting on his laurels, a true hallmark of a player destined for success.
