Ranji Trophy 2019-20 | Elite Group C - Services, J&K register thrilling wins
Services completed their comeback against Haryana to register a one-wicket win in the sixth round clash at the Palam A Stadium in Delhi. Meanwhile, Jammu & Kashmir also turned around their fortunes to beat Odisha by four wickets, while Jharkhand closed in on their third win of the season.
Gahlaut Rahul Singh, the hero for Services
In every sense, Gahlaut Rahul Singh wrote his name into Ranji Trophy folklore on day three in the nation’s capital, hitting 16 fours and one six en route a 155-ball 115 to take his team over the line. Out to chase down 212 with two full days to go, Haryana had Services reeling at 13 for three in 13 overs, before Gahlaut and Ravi Chauhan put together the first of three crucial partnerships of the day. Chauhan fell for 22 and Vikas Hathwala followed suit soon after, with Services still needing 134 with five wickets remaining. Wicket-keeper Devender Lohchab and and Diwesh Pathania shared partnership worth 63 and 60 runs, before the centurion fell two runs shy of victory. However, No.10 Sachidanand Pandey hit the very next ball for four to seal the win, which takes them within one point of Haryana, who are on 21.
All-round Aquib Nabi scripts J&K’s fifth win
An all-round performance from man-of-the-match Aquib Nabi — seven for 79 in the match and 49 runs — helped J&K overcome their first-innings deficit and seal top spot in the Elite Group C table. Odisha could only add 30 runs to their overnight score of 136 for seven, which meant a target of 204 for their visitors. After two early hiccups reduced them to 39 for two, opener Suryansh Raina and No.4 Shubham Pundir stitched together a 77-run to steady the ship. Raina hit 10 fours in his innings of 69 and Pundir fell five short of a fifty, before cameos from Abdul Samad and Nabi saw J&K through with four wickets intact.
Jharkhand on the brink of third win
A five-fer from Ashish Kumar — to go with his four wickets in the first innings — helped the hosts to restrict Uttarakhand’s second innings to 273 runs. For the visitors, wicket-keeper Saurabh Rawat scored a century, which included 17 fours, while Dikshanshu Negi supported him ably with a stroke-filled 81. Negi’s innings included six fours and four sixes, but there was nothing else to cheer for, for the visitors at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi. Given their 71-run superiority from the first innings, Jharkhand were set a 203-target for victory. Nazim Siddiqui fell after a 66-run opening stand, before Kumar Deobrat — batting on 33 — saw the hosts through to 76 for one at stumps — still 127 needed for victory.
Jay Pande century help Maharashtra set daunting target for Assam
A patient century from opener Jay Pande, backed up by lower-order fifties from wicket-keeper Vishant More and Satyajeet Bachhav, helped Maharashtra set a 297-run target for Assam. Resuming the day at 106 for two, the visitors rode on Pande’s 130 — which included 13 fours — to build on their slender lead. After he fell, More went on to complete a patient half-century, which included nine fours, before Bachhav struck seven fours in a rapid 51. Declaring at 365 for nine, Maharashtra hoped to prize out a wicket or two in the short period remaining in the day, but the Assam openers safely reached 12 for no loss at stumps.