Apart from making him the highest scorer in a Cooch Behar Trophy final, Prakhar’s 404 not out is also the second highest ever in the tournament, behind only Maharashtra’s Vijay Zol’s unbeaten 451 against Assam in 2011-12.
Prakhar’s slammed 46 fours and three sixers as Karnataka responded to Mumbai’s first-innings tally of 380 by posting a gargantuan 890/8 declared to win the final on the basis of their first innings lead. An all-format player, Prakhar is known for his powerful hitting, but this innings was marked by patience, application and skill.
On a surface that got better for batting after the first day, Prakhar did not put a foot wrong. He was unhurried throughout his stay at the crease. On the final day, he went to lunch at 299.
Resuming his innings, he calmly played out 19 dot balls before reaching the 300-run mark, off a single. While the 300 came off 543 deliveries, the next 104 were scored briskly in 95 balls.
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Speaking to TOI after his landmark feat, Prakhar said, “The records feel special and I’m glad the runs came when it mattered. My coaches told me to bat on and not get out and I’m glad I could do it.
In the end, what counts is the fact that we won the trophy.”
On pacing his innings, Prakhar, who opted to do his Class 12 through open schooling to concentrate on cricket, pointed out, “Red-ball cricket for me is all about patience. I know I can hit the ball long and hard, but in the longer format, it is important to keep the ball on the ground. I took my time to assess the conditions and then played my shots.”
Former Karnataka captain, K Jeshwanth, his coach at Bengaluru’s Six Cricket Academy -which is part of the Padukone-Dravid Centre of Excellence -said, “I’m not surprised by his achievement because he is blessed with good technique and backs it with unconditional hard work. He is a good student of the game and can adapt to different formats with ease. A powerful hitter, he is like a blackboard on which you can write anything.” Prakhar travels 100km daily to train at the academy.
