Chhattisgarh posted their first outright win of the Ranji Trophy 2017-18 by beating Himachal in Dharamsala.
With Ajinkya Rahane still at the crease, hosts Mumbai will be fighting to pull off a draw when they resume the game on the fourth day at the Wankhede Stadium. Swapnil Singh helped set-up the match for Baroda with his maiden first-class century.
Gujarat and Saurashtra, who have won all their matches so far, will be fighting for a first innings lead on the last day of the Round 5. Gautam Gambhir has kept Delhi in the reckoning with a century against Karnataka.
Here are the highlights of the day:
Group A Assam vs Uttar Pradesh: After securing a narrow first innings lead, UP extended the lead by 260 runs until stumps on Day 3. Umang Sharma anchored the team to 229 for two until play ended for the day. The opener was batting on 131 with Mohammed Saif on 38 at the end of day’s play.
Earlier, UP seized a 31-run first innings lead by bowling Assam out for 318 earlier in the day. After the hosts resumed their innings on 279 for six, Suresh Raina claimed Pallav Kumar Das to give his team the first breakthrough of the day and leave Assam on 298 for seven. Saurabh Kumar, Ankit Rajpoot and Mohammed Saif then followed up with a wicket each to wrap-up the tail. Saurabh finished with a five-for in the innings.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/58Maharashtra vs Railways: Resuming on 88 without loss, Railways were 330 for five at the end of third day’s play.
While Saurabh Wakaskar departed on 33 having added just one run to his overnight total, Shivakant Shukla had posted 62 before being sent back by Dadhe. Pratham Singh made 73 while Nitin Bhille made 56.
When play ended for the day, A Gosh was batting on 44 with M Rao on 19.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/59Karnataka vs Delhi: Gautam Gambhir helped Delhi shape a reply after Karnataka raised a mountainous total batting first. Batting on 135, the Delhi opener had taken his team to Stumps at 227 for four on Day 3. Dhruv Shorey contributed 64 while Rishabh Pant made 41 before returning to the dressing room.
Sturat Binny claimed overnight batsman Unmukt Chand and later accounted for Nitish Rana while Abhimanyu Mithun bowled Shorey and Pant was castled by Gowtham K.
At the end of day’s play, Gambhir was batting with Milind (10*). Delhi were trailing by 372 runs when play ended for the day.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/60Group B
Jharkhand vs J & K: After resuming on 197 for five, Jharkhand were 292 for nine when they declared their innings conceding the first innings lead. While Ishan Kishan was sent back for 11 by Mohammed Mudhasir, Aamir Aziz claimed three more to leave the side on 258 for nine. Sunny Gupta and Sonu Singh were in the middle when play ended for the day.
Building on the 84-run lead J & K were 246 for seven at Stumps. Ahmad Banday (47) and Bandeep Singh (44) in the top-order made valuable contribution. However, after being left on 110 for five Parvez Rasool (70) and Owais Shah (50) helped them rebuild the innings. Punit Bisht was batting with Aamir Aziz when play ended for the day.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/56Haryana vs Team Rajasthan: The Amit Mishra-led Haryana bowled Rajasthan out for 150 to seize a 73-run first innings lead. Building on the lead, the hosts were 179 for five at Stumps on Day 3.
AV Choudhary claimed both Haryana openers to leave the team on 22 for two. A while later CK Bishnoi was sent back by TM Ul Haq to leave the side on 62 for three. The middle-order then made valuable contributions to help boost the lead. Rajat Paliwal made 35 while S Chauhan scored 65 before being sent back by M Lomror. RP Sharma was batting on 25 with Mishra when play ended for the day.
Earlier after resuming on 74 for seven, TN Dhillon (38) and D Chahar (27 off 47) toiled to extend the innings. Dhillon was the last batsman to return to the dressing room; bowled by A Chahal.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/55Saurashtra vs Gujarat: In reply to Saurashtra’s 570, Gujarat were 304 for four at Stumps on Day 3.
After resuming on 45 without loss, Gujarat lost skipper Parthiv Patel with ten runs added to the overnight total. Jaydev Unadkat claimed the opener to leave the side on 55 for one. Priyank Panchal looked to carry the innings forward with B Merai. D Jadeja then dealt a double blow to leave the side on 109 for three. The opener then stitched a partnership with R Bhatt to build a platform for the innings. Panchal and Bhatt had carried Gujarat to 288 when the former was sent back by Unadkat for 145.
Bhatt then saw the team through to the end of day’s play with Gaja.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/57Group CTripura vs Andhra: Andhra, who are topping the table in the group, secured a first innings lead in the ongoing match against Tripura to further strengthen their position towards the latter half of the league stage.
After Tripura resumed their innings on 68 for one, Bhargav Bhatt and Co created breakthroughs at regular intervals to bowl Andhra to a 87-run first innings lead. Left of 111 for five, MB Mura Singh (81 off 89) and Gurinder Singh (81 off 104) strove to keep the innings in the fray with solid knocks. After a 51-run stand with Yashpal Singh, Mura Singh was had a seventh wicket stand for 75 runs with Gurinder until being sent back by DB Ravi Teja. Andhra then ran through the lower-order to bowl Tripura out for 315.
Bhatt claimed four while Ayyappa Bandaru and P Vijay Kumar took a wicket each.
Building on the lead, Andhra were 51 for one at stumps on Day 3.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/49Odisha vs Tamil Nadu: Odisha were trailing by 244 runs with six wickets in hand at the end of day’s play. After resuming on 36 without loss, the hosts were 286 for four at Stumps on the third day.
Sandeep Pattanaik and Nataraj Behera got Odisha off to a good start with a 128-run opening stand until the former was sent back by V Yomahesh. A while later MS Washington Sundar accounted for Govind Podder and Subhransu Senapati to leave the hosts on 180 for three. 28 runs later, Rahil Shah trapped Nataraj lbw nine short of a century.
Shantanu Mishra and Biplab Samantray then saw the team through to Stumps at 286 for four.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/50 Mumbai vs Baroda: Swapnil Singh scored his maiden century as he helped Baroda piled on runs against Mumbai and set-up the match in visitor’s favour. The batsman, who has been one of the youngest players to make a first class debut (at 14 years and 355 days) in India’s domestic circuit when he played for Baroda in 2006, said that being pushed up the order helped him reach the three-figure mark.
The backing by coach Atul Bedade and captain Deepak Hooda had helped him achieve the milestone, said the 26-year old.
Swapnil, who had resumed his innings on 63 in the morning said that the plan was to pile on as many runs as possible so that they would have to bat only once. After resuming their innings on 376 for four, Baroda declared their innings on 575 for nine later in the day. The middle-order bat, who was the mainstay for the visitors scored a solid 164 off 309 balls until he was sent back by Dhawal Kulkarni. Lower down the order S Manglorker made 43. The Baroda batsmen chipped away at the Mumbai attack as they built the lead to 404 runs and give themselves a chance at a win.
The visitors then bowled a disciplined line to keep Mumbai on their toes. A brilliant diving catch by wicketkeeper M Patel towards the first slip sent back Aditya Tare leaving Mumbai on 22 for one. Prithvi Shaw, who seemed in good nick was bowled by Swapnil on 56 a bit later. Shreyas Iyer departed swinging his bat at Atit Sheth while night-watchman Vijay Gohil was castled K Kakade leaving the hosts on 99 for four.
Ajinkya Rahane, who was stoically holding up one end then saw Mumbai through to Stumps with Suryakumar Yadav at 102 for four. The home team were trailing by 302 runs when play ended for the day.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/54Group DBengal vs Vidarbha: Asked to follow on, Bengal were trailing by 206 runs with seven wickets in hand.
After resuming on 89 for three, the hosts were bowled out for 207 by the Vidarbha attack. While Koushik Gosh and Manoj Tiwary scored half-centuries the rest of the lineup succumbed to the visitors’ attack. After RN Gurbani ended the fourth wicket partnership between Gosh and Tiwary by claiming the later and leaving the team on 132 for four, the rest of the lineup caved in. The bowler claimed two wickets while A Wakhare took two and A Sarvate picked three to bowl Bengal out earlier in the day.
Lalit Yadav, who had claimed the first two wickets in Bengal’s first innings then returned to take three quick wickets and leave the hosts on 10 for three. At Stumps, Sudip Chatterjee (40*) and Manoj Tiwary (36*) and taken Bengal to 86 for three.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/51Himachal vs Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh beat Himachal by an innings and 114 runs to claim seven points from the game and took their tally to 13 points.
After resuming on 389 for six, Chhattisgarh were bowled out for 456 with a 281-run first innings lead courtesy Manoj Singh’s 67 and S Ruikar’s 45. The pair had taken the team past the 400-run mark before Ruikar was sent back by Siddharth Sharma. Rishi Dhawan the accounted for the wickets of Vishal Singh and Pankaj Rao to leave the team on 448 for nine. Eight runs later, Manoj was bowled by P Jaswal to end the innings.
Mohammed Shahnawaz then wrecked the hosts lineup to bowl Chhattisgarh to a comprehensive win. The bowler claimed six for 53 while Pankaj Rao picked two wickets. Abhimanyu Chauhan and Ruikar too chipped in with a wicket each to help bundle HP out for 167. N Gangta was the top-scorer for the team with 41 runs.
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http://www.bcci.tv/ranji-trophy-2017-18/match/52Services vs Goa: Bowled out for 270, Goa seized a marginal seven-run first innings lead against Services. After resuming on 150 for six the hosts plodded on to secure a crucial first innings lead. While Amogh Desai, who was batting on 37 when play resumed in the morning departed for 52 off 148 balls leaving the team on 171 for seven, wicketkeeper Keenan kept the innings in the fray with a determined knock. Even as wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end, the batsman helped the team forward. He was the last to return to pavilion; sent back for 70 off 167 by Sachidanand Pandey (5/61).
