Mumbai, Dec 21: Hosts Mumbai bundled out Punjab for a paltry 226 runs on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite – Group A encounter between the two sides. Mumbai were 22 for no loss in reply to Punjab’s first innings score.
Earlier, Mumbai pacer Balwinder Sandhu ripped through the Punjab batting order and eventually finished with figures of five for 66 from 26.2 overs. Medium pacer Kshemal Waingankar, with figures of three for 80, complemented Sandhu’s effort.
Middle-order batsman Bipul Sharma was the only Punjab player who showed some fight with a dogged 68 off 164 deliveries. Barring Sharma, no other Punjab batsman managed to cross the 35-run mark.
Railways v Saurashtra: Ravindra Jadeja’s sensational six for 22 in 8.5 overs helped Saurashtra fight back against Railways on Day 1 of their Elite- Group A Ranji Trophy encounter. After Saurashtra had been bowled out for 175 in their first innings, Jadeja’s spell brought the visitors right back into the game as Railways were reduced to 71 for eight in 19.5 overs. Incidentally, Jadeja’s best bowling figures in a first class match are seven for 31.
Baroda v Bengal: Ashok Dinda’s five-wicket haul against Baroda gave Bengal the edge on the opening day of their Elite – Group B Ranji Trophy encounter. After half-centuries from Baroda’s Aditya Waghmode (62) and Rakesh Solanki (73) put the hosts in a strong position, the Bengal pacer ran through the Baroda top order to reduce them to 278 for seven in 86 overs. What added to Baroda’s misery was Sourav Ganguly’s dismissal of the well set Irfan Pathan (42), and Sankalp Vohra (0), in the penultimate over of the day’s play. Baroda, consequently, were 284 for nine in 88 overs.
Rajasthan v Orissa: Opener Vineet Saxena (74) and captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar (64) struck half-centuries as Rajasthan laboured to a first-innings score of 209 for three in 90 overs against Orissa. Middle-order batsmen Robin Bist (24*) and Rashmi Parida (25*) were out in the centre for the hosts when stumps were called.
Karnataka v UPCA: Karnataka’s Stuart Binny played a feisty, unbeaten innings of 86 to steer his side to a healthy 300 for the loss of seven wickets on Day 1 of their Elite – Group A encounter against Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka were in trouble at 171 for six, but Binny’s innings, along with a battling 25 (off 67 balls) from No. 8 batsman SN Raju, prevented the hosts from imploding. Imtiyaz Ahmed was the most successful bowler for UPCA taking three for 73.
Tamil Nadu v MPCA: Tamil Nadu ended Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy encounter against Madhya Pradesh at 294 for the loss of four wickets. Half centuries from Murali Vijay (83), Kaushik Gandhi (80) and Dinesh Karthik (60*) propelled Tamil Nadu to their position of strength.
Remaining scorecards:
