RANJI TROPHY UPDATE: TEWATIA AND NAIR NOTCH UP CENTURIES
GROUP A
On the second day, propelled by Jayant Yadav’s four wickets, Jharkhand found themselves struggling at 119 for 9 after Haryana amassed a massive 509 runs.
Rahul Tewatia’s splendid knock of 144, supported by Sumit Kumar, who contributed 225 runs for the seventh wicket, anchored Haryana’s imposing total.
Meanwhile, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Yuvrajsinh Dodiya wreaked havoc for Rajasthan, each securing three wickets, as Saurashtra posted 328 runs, courtesy of centuries by Chesteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson.
Kukna Ajay Singh shone for the hosts in Jaipur, clinching a five-wicket haul.
In another match, guided by Rajat Paliway’s 122, Services set a solid foundation with a total of 333 runs in their first innings.
Later, they put Manipur under immense pressure, reducing them to 51 for 6 in their second innings in Anand, holding onto a significant 215-run lead and eyeing a potential innings victory.
Karun Nair’s unbeaten 128 propelled Vidarbha into a commanding position against Maharashtra in Pune.
At the end of the second day’s play, Vidarbha stood tall at 439 for 6, already boasting a substantial lead of 231 runs.
Dhruv Shorey (92) and Akshay Wadkar (90) also made valuable contributions, with the latter forming a crucial partnership of 149 runs with Nair for the fifth wicket.
GROUP B
Ashish Chouhan’s outstanding performance saw him claim six wickets, triggering a dramatic collapse that saw Mumbai bundled out for 351 after the visitors had established a formidable 244-run opening stand.
Chhattisgarh then made a composed start with the bat, reaching 180 for 4 on the second day.
Shashank Chandrakar played a significant role, registering his maiden first-class half-century (he has also scored a century).
In Guwahati, Abhishek Thakuri’s brilliant knock of 115, supported by Mrinmoy Dutta’s unbeaten 72, propelled Assam to a respectable total of 405 before Bihar ended the day on 134 for 5.
Assam’s tailenders showcased resilience, adding 93 crucial runs, thwarting Sakibul Gani’s four-wicket haul.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Jalaj Saxena’s stellar performance with the ball, claiming seven wickets, left Bengal struggling at 172 for 8 in response to Kerala’s 363.
Akshay Chandran’s century earlier in the day had bolstered the hosts.
Despite Abhimanyu Easwaran’s breezy half-century, Bengal’s batting line-up faltered against Kerala’s bowling attack.
Meanwhile, in Vizinagaram, KV Sasikanth’s five-wicket haul propelled Andhra to take the first innings lead against Uttar Pradesh, who were dismissed for 198.
Andhra ended the day at 19 for 1 in the second innings, holding an 82-run lead over Uttar Pradesh.
GROUP C
Ganesh Satish’s unbeaten 67 and Bikramjit Debnath’s solid half-century of 50 not out stabilized Tripura’s innings as they reached 187 for 4 at stumps, following Chandigarh’s dismissal for 356 earlier in the day.
Shashi Kumar’s impressive bowling display led to Tamil Nadu’s struggle at 129 for 7 after Karnataka had set a total of 366 runs, despite Hardik Raj’s contribution of 51.
S Ajith Ram had earlier claimed four wickets for Tamil Nadu.
In Mohali, Priyajitsing Jadeja’s maiden first-class fifer dismantled Punjab for 219, despite Mandeep Singh’s resilient unbeaten 76, allowing Gujarat to secure a 120-run lead in the first innings.
The visitors had earlier extended their total to 339, with No. 11 Arzan Nagswalla playing a counterattacking half-century.
Railways seized the upper hand against Goa in Surat, as Adarsh Singh and Akash Pandey’s four-wicket hauls restricted Goa to 200 all out, enabling Railways to take the first innings lead.
At stumps, the hosts remained unbeaten at 31 for no loss in the second innings, holding a lead of 128 runs.
GROUP D
Despite Aasirwad Swain’s maiden first-class fifty, Uttarakhand established a commanding position against Odisha in Cuttack.
Following Vaibhav Bhatt’s century, Abhay Nego’s fifty bolstered the side as they posted 342 runs before reducing the hosts to 123 for 6.
In Indore, Madhya Pradesh’s lower order made crucial contributions, supported by Anubhav Agarwal’s triple strike, enabling them to dominate against Baroda.
With a total of 454 runs on the board, they put Baroda in a challenging position, reducing them to 104 for 6 despite Mitesh Patel’s unbeaten 67.
In Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, led by half-centuries from Praveen Thakur (85) and Rishi Dhawan (95*), surpassed Delhi’s first innings total, reaching 311 for 8 at stumps with a 47-run lead, despite Siddhant Sharma’s four-wicket haul.
Abid Mushtaq’s fifer propelled Jammu & Kashmir back into contention in a low-scoring thriller against Puducherry, as they reduced the visitors to 35 for 7 in the second innings.
Puducherry had earlier been dismissed for 152 runs, conceding a 66-run lead in the first innings.
With only three wickets remaining, the hosts now require 52 runs for victory.
PLATE
Guided by T Thyagarajan’s impressive seven-wicket haul, Nagaland found themselves dismissed for 206 runs before Hyderabad imposed the follow-on, restricting the visitors to 20 for 1.
Hyderabad had previously declared their first innings at a formidable 462 for 8.
In the second innings, Akash Choudahry’s fifer led to the dismissal of Mizoram for 153 runs, despite Agni Chopra’s rapid 69.
In pursuit of victory, Meghalaya concluded the day at 125 for 4, requiring just 28 more runs for the win.
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