GROUP A
Rawat scores ton for Baroda but Jharkhand take big 1st innings lead
Vadodara, Nov 10: Baroda middle-order batter Shashwat Rawat struck a gritty century but could not stop table-toppers Jharkhand from taking a huge 215-run first-innings lead in their Ranji Tropy Group A match here on Monday.
Rawat, who was unbeaten on 20 overnight, dug in his heels on day three to score 106 off 230 deliveries and help Baroda reach 291 all out in reply to Jharkhand’s first-innings total of 506.
At stumps, Jharkhand were 10 for one, and ahead by 225 runs overall. It wasn’t an appealing sight watching Rawat slug it out at a snail’s pace after Baroda had been reduced to 78 for 3 on Sunday. Rawat’s entire innings produced five boundaries and a six, though his 123-run partnership for the fifth wicket with keeper-batter Mitesh Patel (61 off 147 balls) probably denied Jharkhand an innings victory.
Jharkhand could have enforced a follow-an after taking a 215-run lead but they decided to bat again to perhaps put enough runs on the board in the first session on the final day on Tuesday and then try their luck for an outright win.
When Rawat and Patel were at the crease, it was a grind for the Jharkhand bowlers who toiled without much success on a docile wicket. But once Rawat departed, dismissed by right-arm pacer Sahil Raj (4/63), wickets fell in a heap with Rishav Raj (4/70) too taking four wickets.
Baroda batted more than 72 overs on day 3 and scored just 213 runs.At stumps, opener Shikhar Mohan (9 not out) and Rishav Raj were at the crease. In Visakhapatnam, Andhra won a low-scoring match against Tamil Nadu by four wickets by chasing down the 201-run target in 41.2 overs with opener Abhishek Reddy (70) and Karan Shinde (51) striking half-centuries.
Brief Scores: In Vadodara: Jharkhand 506 & 10 for 1 vs Baroda 291 in 103.2 overs (Shashwat Rawat 106, Vishnu Solanki 65, Mitesh Patel 61; Sahil Raj 4/63, Rishav Raj 4/70).
In Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh 535 for 6 decl bt Nagaland 117 & (f/o) 153 in 51.1 overs (Chetan Bist 53; Shivam Sharma 5/25, Karan Sharma 3/72) by an innings and 265 runs.
In Nagpur: Vidarbha 286 & 218 for 2 decl in 59 overs (Aman Mokhade 101 not out, Dhruv Shorey 101) vs Odisha 160 & 44 for no loss (Swastik Samal 25 not out). (PTI)
GROUP B
Saharan’s unbeaten 117 hands Punjab 8-wkt win over Chandigarh
Nasik, Nov 9: Maharashtra batter Prithvi Shaw struck a fighting half-century on his birthday but Shreyas Gopal gave Karnataka the upper hand with a four-wicket haul and plucky 71 on day two of the Ranji Trophy Group B match here on Sunday.
Resuming the day at 257 for five, Gopal (71 off 162) guided Karnataka to 313 all out in their first innings. Captain Mayank Agarwal had made 80 at the top of the order.When Maharashtra came out to bat, leg-spinner Gopal got four important wickets as Maharashtra ended the day at 200 for six, trailing Karnataka by 113 runs.
Shaw, who smashed a double hundred earlier this season, carried Maharashtra’s fight before falling to Mohsin Khan.Jalaj Saxena and Vicky Ostwal were batting on 34 and four respectively.In Thiruvananthapuram, Saurashtra found themselves on the back foot after an underwhelming first innings effort.Kerala were able to make 233 in response, taking the first-innings lead of 73 runs. Aparajith top scored for Kerala with 69 while captain Jaydev Unadkat was the pick of the Saurashtra bowlers with four wickets.In their second innings, Saurashtra were 47 for one in 17 over trailing Kerala by 26 runs at close of play. With both teams battling hard and the match finely poised, the third day’s play is set to determine which side seizes the momentum in this closely contested Ranji Trophy encounter. Brief scores: In Mangalapuram: Saurashtra: 160 all out in 55.2 overs (Jay Gohil 84; MD Nidheesh 6/20) and Saurashtra 47 for one in 17 overs vs Kerala 233 all out in 74.5 overs (Rohan Kunnummal 80; Hiten Kanbi 2/53, Jaydev Unadkat 4/42).In Pune: Karnataka: 313 all out in 111 overs (Mayank Agarwal 80, Ravichandran Smaran 54, Shreyas Gopal 71; Jalaj Saxena 4/94) vs Maharashtra 200 for six in 66 overs (Prithvi Shaw 71; Shreyas Gopal 4/46).
In Porvorim: Goa: 284 all out in 95.5 overs (Suyash Prabhudessai 65; Saransh Jain 4/78) vs Madhya Pradesh 181 for seven in 73 overs (Saransh Jain 48; Koushik 3/33).In Chandigarh: Chandigarh: 173 all out in 51 overs and 168 for seven in 57.2 overs (Manan Vohra 32, Ankit Kaushik 38; vs Punjab 142 all out in 57.2 overs; Nishunk Birla 4/18). (PTI)
GROUP C
Gujarat, Uttarakhand seal victories; Bengal, Tripura dominate
Nadiad, Nov 10: Vishal Jayswal’s all-round brilliance guided Gujarat to a six-wicket win over Services on the penultimate day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match.
After Gujarat replied with 256 to Services’ 148, Jayswal (6/59) and Siddharth Desai (4/44) dismantled Services for 125 in the second innings. Set 118 to win, Gujarat cruised home with Kshitij Patel (31*) steering them to full six points.
In Rohtak, Uttarakhand thrashed Haryana by an innings and 28 runs to claim maximum points.
Left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith starred with a stunning 11-wicket match haul (5/27 and 6/56) as Haryana, following on, folded for 148 in their second innings.
Assam, meanwhile, were on the backfoot against Tripura in Agartala. Following on, they reached 78/3 at stumps, still trailing by 286 runs.
Earlier, Sibsankar Roy’s 84 lifted Assam to 238 in reply to Tripura’s 602/7 declared, while Swapnil Singh (3/29) led the home attack.
In Surat, Bengal tightened their grip against Railways, who were reeling at 90/5 after following on, still 162 short of avoiding an innings defeat.
Earlier, Bhargav Merai (91) and Upendra Yadav (70) lifted Railways to 222, but Bengal’s bowlers — Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (4/35) and Rahul Prasad (2/34) — ensured firm control for the visitors.
As the penultimate day drew to a close, Gujarat and Uttarakhand emerged as the biggest gainers, sealing commanding victories to pocket full points, while Bengal looked poised to do the same with their bowlers dictating terms in Surat. Assam, however, faced an uphill battle to avoid defeat against a dominant Tripura side.
Brief Scores: In Nadiad: Services 248 & 125 (Mohit Ahlawat 56; Vishal Jayswal 6/59, Siddharth Desai 4/44) lost to Gujarat 256 & 118/4. Gujarat 6 points, Services 0. In Rohtak: Haryana 112 & 148 lost to Uttarakhand by an innings and 28 runs (Jagadeesha Suhcith 5/27 & 6/56). Uttarakhand 6 points, Haryana 0.
In Agartala: Triupa 602/7d vs Assam 238 & 78/3 in 29 overs (Denish Das 20 not out; Ajay Sarkar 1/13). Assam trail by 286 runs.
In Surat: Bengal 474 vs Railways 222 & 90/5 in 39 overs (Bhargav Merai 20 not out; Shahbaz Ahmed 2/26, Rahul Prasad 2/34). Railways trail Bengal by 162 runs. (PTI)
GROUP D
Mumbai crush Himachal Pradesh by an innings and 120 runs
Mumbai, Nov 10: Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani returned a five-wicket haul as a dominant Mumbai crushed Himachal Pradesh by an innings and 120 runs to notch up an outright win on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D contest, here Monday.
After putting on board 446 in the first innings, Mumbai ran through a frail Himachal Pradesh batting line-up twice in as many days on a dusty BKC Ground track to record a comprehensive victory, their second of the season.
Himachal, bundled out for 187 in a poor first-innings show on a placid wicket earlier on day three, showed no significant improvement in the second, making 139 in which only Pukhraj Mann (65 off 109 balls, 9x4s) provided some resistance.
Resuming at a precarious 94 for 7 in the first innings, a brisk half-century from number 10 Vaibhav Arora (51 off 61 balls, 7x4s, 4x6s) gave HP some much-needed impetus, even as Nikhil Gangta (64 not out, 134 balls, 8x4s) held the other end strongly.
Arora used the long handle to a good effect and hammered powerful sixes down the ground, putting on 77 runs for the ninth wicket with Gangta, but that could not delay the inevitable as HP were bundled out for 187, conceding a huge 259-run lead.Asked to follow-on, Himachal were again off to a poor start with Tushar Deshpande getting skipper Ankush Bains (0) caught behind and Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur trapping Siddhant Purohit (2) leg-before.
Himachal were soon reduced to 68/4 when Mulani struck twice to get rid of Ankit Kalsi (19) and Ekant Sen (7). The visitors found a dependable pair of Mann and Gangta who steadied the ship with a 44-run stand on either side of tea break. (PTI)
