A Mane-Gambhir show all the way

By S. Dinakar

CHENNAI, JAN. 22. The left-right combination was once again just right for India as openers Gautam Gambhir and Vinayak Mane continued to hound the English bowlers at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday.

Hunger for success is always a good sign in youngsters and Gambhir and Mane displayed plenty of that, carrying on after their centuries, adding 391 before being separated, both the batsmen notching up double hundreds in the process, Gambhir getting 212 (241b, 25x4, 2x6) and Mane 201 (239b, 23x4, 4x6).

However, the second India-England under-19 Test ended in a predictable draw, the home team declaring its second innings an hour after lunch at 492 for four and the visitor, staring at an improbable target of 325 in 41 overs, choosing to play out time, making 64 for two, before play was called off in the eighth mandatory over.

India goes into the third Test at Hyderabad with a 1-0 lead.

Coming back to the Gambhir-Mane waltz, the two produced some sparkling strokes in the morning session, Gambhir, driving with aplomb through the covers and straight down the ground, and Mane, pulling and cutting whenever the bowlers erred in length.

Both are strong off the back-foot and the English pacemen in their anxiety to pick wickets bowled too short on a pitch that offered little assistance to the quicker bowlers. The 300 arrived in just 59.5 overs, Mane pulling paceman McGarry to the square- leg fence and when left-arm seamer Justin Bishop banged it in, he was ready with a similar answer.

Left-arm spinner Monty Paneesar was pressed into service but found the going tough, with Mane cutting him late to the third man fence, and then lifting the Sardar over the sightscreen.

Even when in sight of a double-hundred Mane did not lose momentum and it was a special moment for the Mumbai youngster when he drove Gordon Muchall, bowling seamers, imperiously through the covers to reach the landmark.

Mane, soon miscued a pull shot off Muchall to be caught by English captain Ian Bell at short mid-wicket, but it had been a wonderful effort from the opener who has made three half centuries in his three Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai this season. Sachin Tendulkar is his idol-he studied in the same school and has the same coach in Ramakant Achrekar-and dreams of playing for India one day. Gambhir had been under pressure before this knock having failed to make an impact in his earlier three innings in the series, and after scampering for a single to move from 199 to 200, he celebrated the occasion by kissing his bat...the effort was well worth the wait.

And he too received a rousing reception from his mates when he made his way back to the pavilion, after Tremlett, following an initial fumble, recovered quickly to send in an accurate return from extra cover, catching Gambhir, who was off for the third run, short of the crease.

Gambhir already has some fine performances in the Ranji Trophy to his credit like his 83 against Karnataka in the Super League, last season but, as he himself admits, has often failed to convert good starts, into big scores. On this occasion, it was different though.

Apart from the two double hundreds, there was little of note on the last day. When England batted, paceman Nitin Agarwal consumed the first innings century-maker Nicky Peng with a delivery that left the right-hander, wicket-keeper Ajay Ratra doing the rest. And then left-arm spinner Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan nailed Ian Bell with an arm ball.

England coach Tim Boon summed up the Test when he said, ``All credit to the Indian openers. They batted brilliantly.''

The scores:

England under-19-Ist innings 399.

India under-19-Ist innings 231.

India under-19-2nd innings: Gautam Gambhir (run out) 212; Vinayak Mane c Bell b Muchall 201; Gyaneswara Rao c Sadler b Muchall 3; Alind Naidu c Muchall b Paneesar 35; Kashinath Kadkhikar (not out) 19; Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (not out) 7; Extras (b-2, lb-1, w-7, nb-5) 15; Total (for four wkts. decl. in 94 overs) 492.

Fall of wickets: 1-391, 2-397, 3-433, 4-481.

England under-19 bowling: McGarry 13-1- 64-0; Pattison 12-0-56-0; Bishop 11-0-56-0; Tremlett 13-0-67-0; Paneesar 24-3-122-1; Muchall 16-0-80-2; Bell 1-0-10-0; Sadler 4-0-34-0.

England under-19-2nd innings: John Sadler (not out) 31; Nicky Peng c Ratra b Agarwal 0; Ian Bell b Vidyut 7; Gary Pratt (not out) 19; Extras (b-1, w-5, nb-1) 7; Total (for two wkts. in 34 overs) 64.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-41.

India under-19 bowling: Trivedi 5-2-12- 0; Agarwal 9-2-18-1; Vidyut 11-5-13-1; Dharmichand 6-2-9-0; Ganda 2-1-10-0; Khadkikar 1-0-1-0.

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