RPICC vs. Columbia
-By Aravind Vijayaraghavan
A day to forget and an evening to remember, would best sum the team’s experiences this past Saturday at NYC. Arriving at 11:00 am, we were made to unceremoniously wait for almost 2 hours before the host team got themselves ready for the game.
Electing to field, RPI's bowlers did a great job, restricting the hosts to
five runs an over till drinks, but unable to make any breakthroughs. After
lunch, Columbia put the pedal to the metal, and smashed our spinners Praneet
and Kaustub all over the ground. Desperate bowling changes did nothing to stem
the flow of runs, but Aravind V and Aravind S managed to snap 3 wickets
apiece. Fielding was never up to the mark, quite a few catches were dropped,
and stumping chances missed. This helped the in-form batsmen from Columbia to
amass 150 runs of the last 18 overs to finish at 233. Special mention needs to
be made of a beautiful running catch by Channa at long on, and a daring but
vain dive by Mohammad at long off, our only bright moments in the field.
Going in to bat, RPI's top order failed miserably, thanks to some very fast
and accurate bowling by Columbia. Once again, flashy shots and total lack of
footwork saw to the demise of our top order. Reduced to 50 for 5, we never
stood a chance. Good cameos by Channa and Aravind V helped RPI salvage some
pride and reach a three-figure total before being bowled out.
But it wasn’t all a loss. A very entertaining and nostalgic trip to Jackson
heights, in search of authentic Desi Cuisine and Pan cheered up the team.
Stuffed to the brim, everyone, including the drivers, was fast asleep by the
time we reached home around 2:00 am.