Ranji Trophy 2019-20 | Elite Group C - Odisha, Services in command, Tripura fight back
Odisha and Services took up commanding positions in their seventh round matches against Jharkhand and Assam respectively. Rain washed out play in Jammu & Kashmir-Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand-Haryana clash, while Tripura mounted a fightback against Maharashtra after conceding a first-inning lead.
Services heading for big first innings lead
Resuming play at 232 for eight, the hosts lost Pulkit Narang early while his partner Raushan Raj — who was also on 38 overnight — went onto complete a half-century. Courtesy of Raushan’s 75, Services posted 279 in their first innings at the Palam A Stadium in Delhi — Rahul Shukla finishing with seven for 106. Jharkhand’s reply fell away after a steady start from Kumar Deobrat and Nazim Siddiqui as they slumped to 145 for nine — still trailing by 134 runs — at stumps on day two. Wicket-keeper Sumit Kumar remained unbeaten on 30, while Diwesh Pathania with three for 44 and Raushan with three for 39 proved Jharkhand’s menace.
Odisha post big total, Assam three down
Despite scoring at less than three per over on day one, Odisha’s batsmen had laid a solid foundation to reach 215 for three at stumps. On day two, they reaped rich rewards for the patience as half-centuries from Abhishek Raut and Debabrata Pradhan, followed by a late flourish from Suryakant Pradhan saw them post a first-innings total of 436 runs. Raut’s 71 included nine fours, while Pradhan hit 10 fours and two sixes in his innings of 79. Arup Das and Ranjit Mali picked up four wickets each for Assam. In reply, the visitors suffered an early blow with Kunal Saikia cleaned up by Basant Mohanty in the second over. In the 31 overs that remained, Assam crawled their way to 59 at stumps, but at the cost of two more wickets.
Pallab Das fifty leads Tripura fightback
Resuming at 127 for five, Maharashtra skipper Ankit Bawne and wicket-keeper Vishant More picked up from where they left off on day two at 127 for five and added 39 more runs to the total. Bawne fell for 62, hitting 10 fours in his innings, while More carried the team past the 200-run mark, before the team folded at 208 — a first-inning lead of 87 runs. More top-scored for the visitors with 78, while Manisankar Murasingh and Ajoy Sarkar returned with three wickets each for Tripura. In their second bout, the hosts put up a sturdy performance, despite losing an early wicket, to reach 166 for three at stumps. Opener Pallab Das remained unbeaten on 70 alongside skipper Milind Kumar on 46.
Rain washes out day two between at Jammu
A solid hundred from their skipper Harpreet Singh saw Chhattisgarh reach 270 for four on day one. However, rain decided to crash in and spoil the party on day two, washing out a full day’s play at the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground in Jammu. Amandeep Khare will resume day three 45 not out alongside Sumit Ruikar, who is on six.
Rain plays spoilsport in Uttarakhand-Haryana clash
After bowlers wreaked havoc on day one — where a total of 15 wickets fell for just 159 runs — it was rain who stole the show in Dehradun on day two. Haryana had recovered from nine for four to reach 50 for five — still trailing Uttarakhand by 59 runs — at stumps on day one.
