The Maharashtra seamer’s 10-wicket haul against Rajasthan puts them in driver’s seat
MUMBAI: “I am no comparison to Anil Kumble,” said Aditya Dole, a Maharashtra under-22 seamer.
For those, who might be wondering why the speedster at all is comparable to the veteran Indian spinner, the news is Dole scalped ten wickets against Rajasthan in an under-22 CK Nayudu trophy atVisakhapatnam on Saturday.
The third-year Commerce student from Pune’s BMCC College had very little to say, but his bowling figure of 16.1-2-63-10 spoke volumes of his cricketing career.
“Never in the wildest of dreams I ever thought that I could do it. It happened only for the support of our captain Nikhil Pardkar and the team,” Dole said.
With the ball just 20-overs old overnight, Maharashtra skipper Nikhil Paradkar trusted Dole with the attack when Rajasthan resumed their first innings at 76 for six this morning. Dole had scalped all the six wickets the previous evening.
“I had taken nine wickets and my captain asked me if he could take the tenth one. I said please do. But he was kidding as he had placed a very causal field while he was bowling from the other end and there were no indication that he would spoil my feat,” the 20-year-old said.
“Definitely a 10-wicket haul is every bowler’s dream and I am happy I have done it so early. This wouldn’t have been possible without the team support,” he added.
Maharashtra, who scored 171 in the first innings, have a first innings lead and Dole has another job cut out for him to finish off the opponent team in the remaining two days of the match. “It is definitely a matter of pride but we have a job on hand to bowl out Rajasthan, who are chasing 208 for victory,” Dole said.
“He has been our strike bowler and we are proud of him. I am sure he will skittle Rajasthan’s batting line up in the second innings,” said Maharashtra team manager Kiran Joshi.
“The boys are doing wonders and Dole has taken 19 wickets in the last four matches. The ten-wicket haul is a bonus for the team,” said Ajay Shirke, president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association while talking to DNA from London.
