Ranji Trophy 2019-20 | Elite Group B - Karnataka-Baroda clash hangs in balance; Himachal, Mumbai in command
The match between Karnataka and Baroda at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru hung in the balance as the visitors took a 60-run lead in the second innings with half their side back in the hut. Elsewhere, Himachal and Mumbai gained control of their matches against UP and MP respectively.
Rishi Dhawan fifer sets up match in Himachal’s favour
Collapses either side of a cameo from Akshdeep Nath — top-scorer with 46 — saw Uttar Pradesh hand a 101-run first-innings lead to Himachal. Resuming the day at 23 for one, the hosts were dealt with double blows early on, reducing them to 31 for three, before a 50-run stand ensued between Nath and Mohammad Saif (17). The medium pace of Dhawan (five for 32) had Saif removed and triggered a catastrophic collapse which saw UP lose their last seven wickets for 38 runs. After bowling out their hosts for a mere 119, Himachal’s top-order, led by RI Thakur’s 73 and Akash Vashist’s unbeaten 51, piled on the misery to reach 182 for three at stumps — a mammoth 283 run lead to their name.
N Jagadeesan 183 helps Tamil Nadu post 400-plus
When play resumed with TN at 250 for seven, Jagadeesan was only on 61 off 149 deliveries. By the time the visitors were bowled out for 424, the wicket-keeper batsman had reached 183 off 256, smashing 22 fours and five sixes en route. He found able support in M Mohammed, who made 42, while Saurashtra skipper Jaydev Unadkat finished with figures of six for 73. In reply, the hosts, who were pegged back at regular intervals, reached 107 for three at stumps — still trailing TN by 317 runs. Wicket-keeper Avi Barot was at the crease on 38 with Arpit Vasavada alongside.
Sarfaraz Khan falls on 177 but Mumbai in command
When play began on day two at the Wankhede Stadium, all watching eyes were eagerly waiting to see Sarfaraz complete what would’ve been his third double century of the season. But a soft caught-and-bowled dismissal to Ravi Yadav of the third over of the day was to be the end of things. Gaurav Yadav (four for 101) then cleaned up the tail as Mumbai’s first-innings folded at 427. In reply, MP managed to reach 200 for seven largely due to Venkatesh Iyer’s counter-attacking 87 not out. Other than opener Rameez Khan, all visiting batsmen got starts but failed to kick on with Royston Dias, Deepak Shetty, and Shams Mulani picking up two wickets each for the hosts.
Baroda fighting on, but Karnataka in control
Another gripping day of cricket at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru saw the pendulum swing back and forth in either team’s favour. Karnataka’s lower-order helped stretch their lead past 100 courtesy Abhimanyu Mithun’s 40, before eventually being bowled out for 233. Soyeb Sopariya completed his fifer for the visitors, who then showed much better fight in their second innings. Fifties from Ahmadnoor Pathan — who fell 10 short of his ton — and Deepak Hooda helped ease the ghosts of the first innings before Karnataka's bowlers pulled things back. In the end, Abhimanyu Rajput’s unbeaten cameo helped Baroda reach 208 for five — i.e. 60 for five in effect — at stumps.
