Jharkhand claimed the pole position in group B with an emphatic innings and 93 run win over eastern neighbours Odisha in a final group B league encounter of the Ranji Trophy on Saturday.
The win gave Jharkhand a bonus point, taking their tally to 39, two more than second placed Karnataka on 37. Odisha despite the defeat didn't lose much as they were destined to finish third in the group irrespective of the result.
The win meant that Jharkhand will get to meet C group runners up Haryana in the quarter finals while Karnataka run into formidable Tamil Nadu in another last eight clash.
Having bowled out Odisha for a paltry 152, Jharkhand scored 348 in their first essay taking a healthy 196 run lead. The second innings was no different as Odisha were bowled out for 103 runs in 46.3 overs.
Veteran left arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem (3/28) and seamer Kaushal Singh (3/17) were the most successful bowlers.
In fact Kaushal got the Man-of-the-Match for his attacking innings of 86 that had eight fours and five huge sixes.
It was because of Kaushal that Jharkhand scored quick runs to extend their lead to nearly 200 runs.
When Odisha batted, none of their batsmen crossed 20 run mark.
Brief Scores: Odisha 152 and 103 all out in 46.3 overs (Shahbaz Nadeem 3/28, Kaushal Singh 3/17) vs Jharkhand 348 (Kaushal Singh 86, Saurabh Tiwary 78).
Jharkhand won by an innings and 93 runs.
Points: JHARKHAND 7; ODISHA 0.
