Saurashtra take 1st-innings lead against Manipur on day
Rajkot, Feb 16: Stand-in Saurashtra skipper Arpit Vasavada scored a composed half-century while opener Harvik Desai narrowly missed a 50 as the defending champions took a narrow first-innings lead on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group A match against Manipur here on Friday.
At stumps on day one, Saurashtra, replying to Manipur’s first innings score of 142, had made 153 for three to lead by 11 runs.
On a day when India batter Cheteshwar Pujara pushed himself down the order and Vasavada led Saurashtra in place of regular skipper Jaydev Unadkat, the home team bowlers made optimum use of familiar conditions to bundle out the visitors for 142 in 45 overs.Veteran Saurashtra left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja grabbed four wickets. Unadkat is not playing the game due to a niggle.Manipur opener Al Bashid Muhammed (51) and captain Langlonyamba Keishangbam (61) were the only two visiting team players who made fine starts but the 33-year-old Jadeja accounted for both as the tourists slumped to another below-par total in the tournament. (PTI)
Shardul, Dube shine for Mumbai vs Assam
Mumbai, Feb 16: India internationals Shardul Thakur and Shivam Dube starred with the ball and the bat respectively as 41-time champions Mumbai took an upperhand over Assam on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match here on Friday.
Shardul (6/21) was simply unplayable with the new ball as he single-handedly dismantled Assam for a meagre 84 in 32.1 overs after Mumbai opted to bowl.
Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (2/8) also chipped in with a couple of wickets.
It was a struggle for Assam from the first ball as only three of their batters could manage double-digit scores with Abhishek Thakuri (31) being the top-scorer.
In reply, Dube smashed his way to an unbeaten 101 off 95 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and five sixes to guide Mumbai to 217 for 6 in 48.4 overs at stumps on the first day.
Besides Dube, Mulani (31), Prithvi Shaw (30), skipper Ajinkya Rahane (22) and wicketkeeper Hardik Tomare (22) also contributed for Mumbai.
For Assam, Rahul Singh (2/42) and Dibakar Johri (2/49) snared two wickets each.
Mumbai now enjoy a lead of 133 runs over Assam. (PTI)
Kolkata bundle out Bihar for 95
Kolkata, Feb 16: In Kolkata, Mukesh Kumar (4/18), who has been released from the Indian team to play in the premier domestic tournament, and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (4/47) shared eight wickets between them to bundle out Bihar for 95 in 46.4 overs after Bengal opted to bowl at the Eden Gardens.
Bengal, in response, finished the day at 111 for 2 in 33 overs. Opener Abhimanyu Easwaran was batting on 48 in the company of Anustup Majumdar (13 batting).Bengal led Bihar by 16 runs. (PTI)
Desai’s ton puts Chhattisgarh in command
Lucknow, Feb 16: In Lucknow, Sanjeet Desai hit an unbeaten 113 while skipper Amandeep Khare was batting on 70 to take Chhattisgarh to 238 for 4 in 87 overs after deciding to bat against Uttar Pradesh.
Aaqib Khan (2/55) picked up two wicketsfor Uttar Pradesh.
At close of play, the visitors were 238 for four, electing to bat after winning the toss. Desai was batting on a well-compiled 113, and giving him company was skipper Amandeep Khare, unbeaten on 70.
The two were involved in an undefeated 150-run partnership for the fifth wicket after Chhattisgarh were in a bit of bother in the morning losing early wickets.
But, Desai and Khare weathered the storm with some purposeful batting on a wicket that had good bounce and carry. The two, first played sensibly against an UP attack that had its tail up grabbing four early wickets for 88 runs, including that of the dangerous EknathKerkar, who fell to medium-pacer YashDayal. (PTI)
Baba Indrajith’s 122 takes TN to 291/4
Salem, Feb 16: Baba Indrajith struck an unbeaten 122 and shared an unbroken 184-run partnership with Vijay Shankar as hosts Tamil Nadu reached 291 for 4 against Punjab on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match here on Friday.
After electing to bat, TN were reduced to 64 for 3 and then 107 for 4 before Indrajith and Shankar revived their innings. The duo batted for 53.3 overs without separation.
At stumps on the opening day, Shankar, who came at No. 6, was batting on 85 with the help of six boundaries.
Coming to bat at No. 4, Indrajith was much more quicker as his 122 not out came from 181 deliveries and was studded with six boundaries.
Goa reach 309 for 9 against Gujarat
Porvorim, Feb 16: In Porvorim, Goa reached 309 for 9 in 83 overs on the opening day after being invited to bat, riding on half centuries from Darshan Misal (88) and (Mohit Redkar 80). Arjun Tendulkar contributed 45 off 70 balls.
For Gujarat, Siddharth Desai, Chintan Gaja and Priyajitsing Jadeja grabbed two wickets apiece while Ravi Bishnoi and Arzan Nagwaswalla took one each.
Odisha score 314/4 on Day 1 vs Delhi
New Delhi, Feb 16: Delhi cricket establishment continued with its dodgy selections even during an inconsequential final group league game of the Ranji Trophy season as Odisha batters made merry, reaching 314 for 4 riding on a century from Subhransu Senapati.
Already out of the knock-out reckoning from Group D, the match at Jamia Milia Islamia featured three debutants — batter Gagan Vats, left-arm spinner Sumit Mathur and leg-spinner Prince Chaudhary.
The Delhi team didn’t feature left-arm seamer Siddhant Sharma, who got a five-for including seven wickets in the previous match against Himachal Pradesh in Dharamsala.While the logic of dropping Siddhant was the slow track at the Jamia Milia Islamia ground, how was rookie leg-break bowler Prince picked ahead of Hrithik Shokeen (17 wickets), Delhi’s second highest wicket-taker of the season, defies logic.
Funnily, Shokeen, the specialist off-spinner, has more runs (96) with the willow compared to the ever-controversial pick Kshitiz Sharma (67 runs at 13.50), who was rewarded with another chance for his quick-fire 27 in the last game, coming in at No.7 after all batters had looted runs in the second innings. (PTI)