Goa produced a memorable all-round performance to defeat Oman by five wickets in the second one-dayer, with Abhinav Tejrana and Vasuki Koushik emerging as the architects of a historic victory. Tejrana’s breathtaking 144 and Koushik’s outstanding five-wicket haul, helped Goa level the three-match series 1-1.
The victory was particularly significant as it was Goa’s first win on the pre-season practice tour of Oman, following defeats in both T20 matches and the opening one-dayer. The match was played at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 1).
After winning the toss, Oman elected to bat first and got off to a strong start. Hasanain Ul Wahab and Jeet Shah added 123 runs for the opening wicket, with Shah scoring 70. Tejrana then provided the breakthrough by dismissing Wahab for 79.
Hammad Mirza struck a useful 51 as Oman appeared to be heading towards a formidable total, reaching 278 for five. However, Koushik turned the game in Goa’s favour with a superb spell of fast bowling. He repeatedly troubled the Omani batters and finished with an impressive 5 for 44, helping Goa bowl Oman out for 283 in 49.5 overs. Tejrana also made a valuable contribution with the ball, claiming two wickets for 39 runs, while Heramb Parab and Vikash Singh picked up one wicket each.
Goa’s chase began disastrously, slipping to 0 for 2 as Snehal Kauthankar and Manthan Khutkar were dismissed without scoring. Captain Suyash Prabhudessai also fell with the score at 30, leaving Goa under severe pressure. That was when Tejrana produced a batting masterclass. Showing tremendous composure and attacking intent, Tejrana took the game away from Oman with a sensational 144 off 111 balls, striking 12 fours and seven sixes. His innings combined power, timing and calculated aggression and became the defining performance of the match.
Tejrana found an excellent partner in wicketkeeper-batter Shivendra Bhujbal, and the pair transformed Goa’s innings with a magnificent 207-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Bhujbal played a superb supporting role, remaining unbeaten on 90 from 129 balls, with four fours and a six.
With the target within reach, Bhujbal and Darshan Misal, unbeaten on 20, completed the job with an unbeaten 47-run partnership. Goa reached 284 for four in 45.5 overs, securing a five-wicket victory.
Tejrana’s match-winning century and Koushik’s five-wicket burst made them the undisputed stars of Goa’s historic triumph, giving the team renewed confidence ahead of the series decider.
Brief Scorecard:
Oman – 283 all out in 49.5 overs
Hasanain Ul Wahab 79, Jeet Shah 70, Aryan Bisht 20, Mujibur Imran Ali 24, Hammad Mirza 51, Vinayak Shukla 17, Sanju Sanjeev 15, Muzahir Raza 0, Nadeem Khan 0, Jay Odedra 1, Muhammad Imran not out 0, Extras 6.
Bowling: Vasuki Koushik 10-0-44-5, Heramb Parab 6.5-0-45-1, Chigurupati Venkata 7-0-53-0, Darshan Misal 4-0-15-0, Deeparaj Gaonkar 5-0-35-0, Vikash Singh 10-0-51-1, Abhinav Tejrana 7-0-39-2.
Goa – 284/4 in 45.5 overs
Snehal Kauthankar 0, Abhinav Tejrana 144, Manthan Khutkar 0, Suyash Prabhudessai 14, Shivendra Bhujbal not out 90, Darshan Misal not out 20, Extras 16.
Bowling: Jay Odedra 10-1-57-2, Muhammad Imran 6-0-43-1, Nadeem Khan 10-0-55-1, Muzahir Raza 4-0-28-0, Mujibur Imran Ali 4-0-22-0, Aryan Bisht 9-0-54-0, Sanju Sanjeev 2-0-13-0, Hasnain Ul Wahab 0.5-0-6-0.
