PANAJI: At lunch break, when Goa’s Snehal Kauthankar and Kashyap Bakle trooped into the dressing room after putting on 577 runs for the third wicket against Arunachal, the two were told they were just 18 runs short of the highest-ever partnership in Ranji Trophy history.
Kauthankar had struck a triple century, while Kashyap, playing only his second Ranji game, was unbeaten on 280.
On resumption, the duo went past Maharashtra’s Swapnil Gugale and Ankit Bawne’s record 594. The Academy ground in Porvorim erupted in joy. The two had stitched a 606-run partnership, with Kashyap too reaching a triple ton, when Goa captain Darshan Misal declared. Only later did Misal realise that the duo was just 19 runs short of a first class world record.
“We came to know about the world record after declaring our innings,” Kauthankar told TOI. “Nobody was aware, else we would have surely gone for that record (as well).”
The highest partnership in first-class cricket is the 624 runs scored by Sri Lankan pair of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene during a Test match against South Africa at home in 2006.
“We don’t have any regrets of not getting the world record. We are extremely proud of our performance. More importantly, we are now going to the Elite group,” said the experienced Goa batter, who scored 250 in the previous game against Mizoram.
Goa are playing in the Plate group, comprising six of the lowest-ranked teams. Until last season, Goa were in the Elite category but were relegated after finishing at the bottom of the pool. This season, they topped the group and qualified, winning all their five matches. In contrast, Arunachal Pradesh lost all five games, the one in Goa in less than two days.
After bowling out Arunachal for 84 in their first innings, Goa declared their innings at 727-2, with Kauthankar (314* off 215 balls) and Bakle (300* off 269 balls) putting on a record partnership for the third wicket. Arunachal’s second innings ended at 92 in 22.3 overs, giving Goa a win by an innings and 551 runs, a Ranji record.
Goa’s 727-2 was their highest score in the premier domestic cricket tournament, but it was well short of the record in Ranji Trophy. That belongs to Tamil Nadu who declared their innings at a massive 912-6, incidentally against Goa in Panaji in 1989.
In that game, Tamil Nadu’s WV Raman and Arjun Kripal Singh had scored 313 and 302 runs, the first instance of two batters getting triple centuries.
BRIEF SCORES: Arunachal 84 (Nabam Tagan Abo 25, Neelam Obi 22; Arjun Tendulkar 5-25, Mohit Redkar 3-15) & 92 (Nabam 31) Lakshay Garg 4-43, Deepraj Gaonkar 2-15, Keith 2-25) lost to Goa 727-2 (Snehal Kauthankar 314*, Kashyap Bakle 300*, Suyash Prabhudessai 73).
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