Yuvraj Singh grinds Bihar into pulp (December 1999)

The finals of the Cooch Behar Trophy played at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur saw one of the most determined innings in the history of Indian first class cricket. The sheer weight of runs scored itself inspires awe. Punjab took on Bihar, in what turned out to be a totally one sided affair.

On winning the toss, the Bihar captain Vikash Kumar elected to bat first. At the top of the innings, Ratan Kumar narrowly missed making a century. Stumper Dhoni made 84, the skipper helped himself to a half century and Bihar totalled 357. Though not a specially large total, it was one that would have given the Bihar side some hope.

Three youngsters, Ravneet Ricky, Manish Sharma and Yuvraj Singh were at the top of the order for Punjab. With 60 runs on the board, Ricky was dismissed and Yuvraj Singh walked out to the middle. From then on, it was all downhill for Bihar. Dominating the bowling completely, Yuvraj formed partnerships with whoever was batting alongside him.

First it was Manish Sharma. An attacking batsman in his own right, Sharma had to be content playing second fiddle. Not just Sharma, but all the batsmen that followed had to play around Yuvraj. The Patiala south paw's half century came off just 67 balls and included 8 boundaries. In contrast, Manish Sharma took all of 160 balls to get to his fifty.

The milestones rolled on, one after the other. First the century, then the one fifty. Surely a double hundred was not on the cards? Not merely a double hundred, but a lot more was in store. The Bihar captain rotated his bowlers around in a vain attempt to stem the flow. Nothing, absolutely nothing could stop Yuvraj Singh. He crossed the double hundred mark with ease, requiring just 249 balls to do so.

The 300 came and went. When Yuvraj crossed the 350 mark, tongues began to wag. Would this innings shatter all records? Would Yuvraj be able to go on long enough and indeed did he have the time, to overhaul Nimbalkar's long standing record for the highest score in Indian first class cricket history? The answer to those questions disappointingly is no.

At 358, Yuvraj Singh finally faltered. Falling to Aamir Hashmi, Yuvraj was bowled by the offspinner. His marathon effort of 358 lasted just short of 10 hours and was studded with 40 boundaries and six sixes.

A truly mammoth effort, Yuvraj had shown that he could not only play aggressively, but could also spend long hours at the wicket. There's not much more anyone can ask for.

Cooch Behar Trophy, 1999-2000

Bihar-U19s v Punjab-U19s at Jamshedpur (Keenan), 16-19 Dec 1999
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