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Anup Yadav and Anuj Chaudhary's hundreds ensure a 54-run lead, and then the bowlers reduce SVIS to 58/5

Dnyandeep Seva Mandal Primary and Secondary School took firm hold of the final in the 124th Giles Shield U-14 Dream Sports MSSA Inter-School Cricket Tournament at the Brabourne Stadium, Cricket Club of India, on Wednesday. The School near Panvel took a crucial first innings lead of 54 in the first innings on the second day of the three-day final and then reduced Swami Vivekanand International SSC to 58/5 in the second innings. The Borivali School is effectively 4/5 in 17 overs and will have 23 overs more of the allotted 40 overs with five wickets in hand to set Dnyandeep a target to chase. For SVIS, Shauryakant Upadhaya was standing tall amidst the ruins with an unbeaten 33; he had scored 48 in the first innings.

Anuj Chaudhary |

Anup Yadav, who inspired Dnyandeep's comeback on Tuesday with a five-wicket haul to bowl out SVIS for 276 after they were 149 for no loss, slammed an unbeaten 126 in 123 balls, studded with 19 boundaries. Yadav was involved in a 199-run stand for the fifth wicket with Anuj Chaudhary to ensure Dnyandeep took a crucial lead after they were 128/4. The duo took their school past the SVIS total and played a huge role in the score of 330 for 5 in the allotted 80 overs. Chaudhary made 102 runs in 110 deliveries, with seven boundaries. Atharv Kalel, who took four wickets with the ball, contributed 50 with the bat, while Neil Naik made 38. Swami Vivekanand's left-arm spinner Daivat Kawali grabbed three wickets. Giles Shield Final is being livestreamed on FanCode.

Yadav had scored a hundred in the semifinal also against IES VN Sule Guruji at Parsee Gymkhana. "The hundred at Parsee Gymkhana was my first at this level. Earlier, I was batting mostly in the lower order; I didn't get much time to bat. But in the semifinal, sir sent me in the top order, and it clicked. I carried that confidence here and treated every ball on merit," said the Sachin Tendulkar fan.

The youngster may have been a toddler when Sachin hung up his boots from International cricket in 2013, but his record and batting style influenced him. "I like his straight drive and try to replicate it. I have been watching his videos keenly and trying hard to improve my batting," Yadav added.

Dynandeep openers who showed a cautious approach and ended the first day at 17 without loss in 13 overs, went on to make 70 runs in 30-odd overs. With his team still over 200 runs short and 50 overs to go, Anup Yadav played a measured innings to make runs at the required pace.

Swami Vivekanand coach Dinesh Lad was visibly disappointed after the second day's play and questioned the real age of few Dnyandeep players. "A fast bowler bowled nine overs on the trot. It is hard to believe he is just 11, especially with the pace and energy he has bowled," Lad fumed. "Even the century maker, while batting, generated so much power in his shots," he added.

However, Dnyandeep coach Abdul Khan played down Lad's anguish. "The MSSA has stringent measures in place to check the age of the players. They undergo bone marrow tests and follow all the procedures and guidelines. These guys are talented and work hard on their game," he said.

Earlier on the first day, Chhajer (90) and Taware (82) put on a 149-run opening stand for SVIS. However, Dnyandeep spin duo of Anup Yadav (5-76) and Atharv Kalel (4-66) grabbed nine wickets between them to run through the SVIS batting in the afternoon and restrict them to 276.

Man-of-the-Match in the semifinals for scoring 77 runs and taking a match haul of seven wickets, left-hander Chhajer carried on his form, hitting 16 boundaries in his 116-ball knock. Taware hit 12 boundaries during his partnership with Chhajer.

Brief Score

Swami Vivekanand International School: 276 all out in 79.2 overs (Kaartik Chhajer 90, Prajwal Taware 82; Anup Yadav 5/76, Atharva Kalel 4/66) & 58-5 in 17 overs (Shauryakant Upadhyaya 33*) vs Dnyandeep Seva Mandal’s Primary & Secondary School: 330-5 in 80 overs (Anup Yadav 126*, Anuj Chaudhary 102, Atharva Kalel 50; Daiwat Kawali 3/81)