India Red storm into the final of the NKP Salve Challenger Series after defeat India Green by eight wickets in the rain-hit second match in Nagpur on Tuesday. It was the second win for India Red in as many days as they had beaten India Blue in the series-opener on Monday.
The Gautam Gambhir-led India Red sides dismissed India Green for a paltry 170 in only 37.5 overs after opting to field and then easily overhaul the revised aim of 152 with 78 balls to spare. India Red was given 42 over to achieve the target.
Part-time off-spinner, Yusuf Pathan, was the pick of the bowlers for India Red, grabbing four for 25 in only 7.5 overs. While chasing, Gambhir led from front with a 53-ball 57 as he laid the platform for easy win by putting on 100 runs for the first wicket, along with Abhinav Mukund (61). Gambhir was drop by Mohammed Kaif off paceman Abhimanyu Mithun when he was on just 14 and India Green had to pay for the mistake.
Kaif, who is a reliable fielder, knew what blunder he had committed as Gambir smashed Harbhajan for a six and a four in the next over and continued to find boundaries during his stay at the wicket. India Red was 45 for no loss in eight overs when the skies opened up and stopped play.
On resumption, Mithun lastly got Gambhir when he lofted one straight to Ishwar Chaudhary at mid-off. Gambhir's knock was studded with six fours and a six and Mukund also hit as many boundaries and took 70 balls for his innings before being caught and bowled by Chaudhary.
Ambati Rayudu (16) and Yusuf Pathan (7) steered the side home without any hiccup. India Red will take on the winner of Wednesday's match between India Green and India Blue in Thursday's final.
Earlier, there was a dramatic batting collapse of the Green team as they lost 10 wickets for only 70 runs after Robin Uthappa (56) gave his team a blazing start in the company of Aniruddha Srikkanth (37).
The duo added 100 runs in first 15 overs before Uthappa's impetuosity brought about his downfall. Trying to give medium pacer Taduri Sudhindra the charge, the burly opener was caught at long-on. Uthappa played only 47 balls and hit eight fours and a six.
Uthappa's dismissal started the collapse as another three wickets fell with the addition of 14 runs. T20 specialist T Suman (0) charged out to Pathan and was quickly stumped, followed by Aniruddha, who edged one to Wriddhiman Saha behind stumps.
Mohnish Mishra (2) was run-out and the Green team drooping to 114 for four. Mohammed Kaif, who returns to the contestant fold, scored a painstaking 29, adding 36 runs in the process with glovesman CM Gautham (19).