That's it from our coverage of match number 3 in the Legends League Cricket 4.0! Ninaad Dixit here signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Pritam Dey and scorer Paras Yadav. Stay tuned for more action from around the world.
Jermaine Blackwood (Konark Suryas Odisha Captain): [on playing in India after a while] "It always feels good to come to India and play.
[on the conditions] It was pretty slow but I had to add up as fast as I could. Both the openers got us off to a great start and then we just built it from there.
[on the chat with spinners] I just told them to just bowl as slow as possible. Just be patient. Something will give at the end of the day because once you're putting pressure on the opposition, something must give and I wanna commend my spinners."
Jesal Karia (Legend of the Match): [on what he enjoyed more] Obviously batting. It looked slightly on the slower side and kept low. When I went in the 14th over, the fast bowlers were bowling so it was a bit easier to hit the pacers.
[on his preferred batting position] My role is defined in the team that I will bat in the back end of the innings so I am really happy.
[on the challenge] Always a challenge for me. I have played all the seasons. It is getting competitive every year.
[on the chat in the break] We talked that we have 2 overs of Saurin in the backend because we didn't want to bowl the fast bowlers in the death. It came off really nice."
Legend of the Match: Jesal Karia
11:02 PM IST, Local Time: A magnificent display of death bowling from Konark Suryas Odisha have given them their first win of the Legends League Cricket 4.0! Ankit Rajpoot and left arm spinner Saurin Thakar conceding only 8 runs in the last 3 overs helping their side register an 18-run win!
India Captains won the toss and decided to bowl first. The KSO openers Kennar Lewis (33 off 20) and Morne van Wyk (27 off 19) adding 61 runs for the first wicket in 6 overs provided a magnificent start. Jesal Karia finishing off with an unbeaten 37 off 24 balls to help post 170/5 on the board.
A wicket apiece for Samar Quadri (1/16), Akshay Wakhare (1/28), Gaurav Tomar (1/8) and Imtiyaz Ahmed (1/35).
Priyank Panchal and Hashim Amla scored 24 each adding 39 runs for the first wicket. Skipper Saurabh Tiwary was watchful and hit a six in his 21-ball 18. Aniruddha Joshi hit 27 off 18 balls adding 34 runs with Tiwary for the 4th wicket but the spinners turned things around for Odisha.
Malinda Pushpakumara jolted in the middle overs with 2/33, Rituraj Singh picked up an early wicket to send Panchal in the shed and removed Tiwary in the 15th over as well. But it was Saurin Thakar in the 17th over conceding just 1 run.
Ankit Rajpoot built on that momentum in the penultimate over and clean bowled Gaurav Tomar first ball and Veer Pratap Singh 5th ball to end his spell with a double wicket maiden (2/16). Defending 26 in the final over, Thakar dismissed Imtiyaz Ahmed third ball and conceded only 7 runs to help bring his side glory as the India Captains could only add 152/9 in 20 overs! Stay tuned for post match presentation.
OVER 20
India Captains
152/9
Samar Quadri
1(2)
Parvinder Awana
2(2)
Saurin Thakar
2-29(4.0)
19.6 S Thakar to P Awana
1 On a length outside off. Clubs it to long on for a single.
19.5 S Thakar to S Quadri
1 Short and wide outside off. Looks to cut and gets an outside edge to short third man, just a single.