Ranji Trophy, Super league, 2007-08 [Ranji SS available]

[Tapioca]

It was stupid for TN not to enforce the follow on. They batted till the fourth morning and Karnataka has now drawn the match comfortably.

[Chandan]

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK? Pradeep Sangwan : Hitting the right areas On the surface, "bowling in the right areas" seems the blandest cliché bowlers utter. Ask a batsman about the most difficult kind of bowling, though, and the reply will likely be the same. This was Rohit Sharma's response when asked about the bowler who worked him out on the first morning of the Ranji game against Delhi at the Wankhede Stadium: "He was perfect, hitting the right areas, which made me think." The bowler in question is Pradeep Sangwan, Delhi's 17-year-old left-arm seamer who has had a promising start to his debut first-class season. Sangwan had sensed Sharma's unease at transferring his weight back, so he bowled some short deliveries before going for his trademark inswinger. Sharma was too late to move forward and was trapped, just rewards for the pressure Sangwan had exerted from the time he took the new ball. Thirteen wickets in under three matches is just returns for the kind of pressure he has managed to maintain - and a creditable feat given the pressure he has withstood. Sangwan is playing at a time when Delhi, with Ashish Nehra vulnerable to injury and Amit Bhandari nearing retirement, are in desperate need of an able partner for Ishant Sharma, their highest wicket-taker last season. The first time Sangwan played for Delhi, he was thrown the new ball after Delhi had been bowled out for 119. "Under pressure to perform", he responded with three wickets to help bowl Rajasthan out for 85. Sangwan likes to think the batsmen out. "I try to grasp their weak points," he says, sitting near the fence and watching Virender Sehwag bat against Mumbai. There's a close kinship here; they both come from the Delhi suburb of Najafgarh, and Sehwag had a hand in Sangwan's emergence in the big time. When Delhi were struggling for a pace bowler, Sangwan was beating Sehwag's bat at the Vikaspuri Coaching Centre in west Delhi. "I know his [sehwag's] liking for the cut shot, so I worked on getting the ball in at a good pace," says Sangwan with a heavy Haryanvi accent. Sehwag saw a solution to Delhi's pace problems and, after he had a word with the state selectors last year, Sangwan made his first appearance during the Ranji Trophy one-dayers. Seven wickets in the two games he played was a good enough audition for the new-ball role. Then followed a spot on India's Under-19 tour of Sri Lanka in July, where Sangwan showed his batting prowess down the order. He played a few cameos, including a vital 'Test' half-century scored in partnership with Delhi teammate Virat Kohli, which helped India win the match. A place in the Delhi Ranji side was round the corner. Vijay Dahiya, Delhi's captain last year and current coach, had hinted at a younger side this year. "Sangwan has been bowling well on the Delhi circuit where fast bowlers have to deliver on paata (flat) tracks. He is a workhorse who never gives up." When Delhi were struggling for a pace bowler, Sangwan was beating Sehwag's bat at the Vikaspuri Coaching Centre in the suburbs of Delhi... In him, Sehwag saw a solution to Delhi's pace problems Sangwan's progress is another feather in the cap of the MRF Pace Foundation. TA Sekhar, MRF's head coach, believes Sangwan is the best under-19 left-arm pace bowler in India. "I told people to watch out for this fellow," says Sekhar, who first saw Sangwan two years ago and fine-tuned his action. He says Sangwan, who now has a "perfect side-arm action", had something known as past side-arm action where he was twisting his shoulder to get the ball in. Earlier this September, Sekhar accompanied Sangwan to England where the biomechanics experts worked on him at the Loughborough centre. Sangwan has the natural ability to swing the ball into the right-hander, something he says he's still working on in consultation with Manoj Prabhakar, Delhi's bowling coach. "He has worked a lot on my stock ball, the in-swing, where he has got my leading hand to hold tight and then align it with my bowling arm, which helps me get the inswinger as accurate as possible." Prabhakar has also narrowed the angle at which he would run in. "That has worked wonders as now I can maintain the control, which is very necessary in first-class cricket where top batsman can hold on for long," says Sangwan. Dahiya believes Sangwan has handled the pressure well so far, but the tougher test will come once the ball gets old and the set batsmen make him toil hard on unresponsive wickets. So far, Delhi have bowled out the opposition cheaply and Dahiya's words provide a prelude to what will surely follow: "First-class cricket is not about the first spell. The longer the game goes on the more the demands on the fast bowler." -------------------------------------- Another left arm seamer? Interesting! It will be more interesting to know whether he is pacy or not. But then we hardly get enough news from media in this regard!

[Chandan]

ROUND THREE, DAY 4 November 25, 2007 Andhra 179 and 287 for 9 dec. beat Orissa 140 and 224 (Behera 66, Mohanty 46, Kalyankrishna 3-22) by 102 runs Scorecard Debasis Mohanty scored a valiant 46, but Orissa lost to Andhra with 3.5 overs to spare (file photo) © Getty Images The Orissa tail fought valiantly for a draw, but Andhra registered its first victory in the ongoing Ranji Trophy Super League getting the better of Orissa by 102 runs on the fourth and final day at the Barabati Stadium here on Monday. The win enabled Andhra to earn five points to take its tally to nine from three games. Orissa was bowled out for 224 at the fag end of the day with 3.5 over remaining with Debasis Mohanty playing a defiant innings. Chasing a target of 327 for an improbable win, Orissa had knocked off 32 runs without loss at the end of the third day itself. On the final day, Orissa needed 295 to win with 10 wickets in hand or to play out the day. The host opted for the second option on a slow wicket where the bounce was uneven. Orissa batsmen went into a defensive mode which allowed Andhra to be on top throughout the day. Orissa expected a lot from its top order batsmen especially, the experienced Siba Sundar Das but he did not last long. He was drawn out by left-arm spinner G. Shankara Rao and was stumped for 27. To the exception of vice-captain Niranjan Behera, the other batsman let the team down with poor stroke selection. Victory push Mediumpacer D. Kalyankrishna, however, produced a fine in-cutter to catch Behera leg before for a well made 66 (206m, 174b, 8x4). The departure of P. Jayachandra before tea (172/7) gave Andhra the needed boost to push for a victory. Rashmi Ranjan Das and Mohanty added 38 run for the eighth wicket and Mohanty. In the company of No. 10 Sukanta Khatua added a further 37. At that stage runs did not matter to Orissa but time and overs did. The way Mohanty protected Khatua for long and also pelted the ball to all parts of the ground for 46 runs (94m, 86b, 7x4, 1x6) should have been a good lesson to the frontline batsmen of the side. The last pair held on for 5.1 overs without scoring a run. The win came just when Andhra began to give up hopes as a Shankara Rao straighter one shot through to bowl Khatua. D Kalyankrishna and G Shankara Rao shared three wickets apiece. Uttar Pradesh 375 and 230 for 5 (Kaif 71, Tanmay 66) drew with Punjab 381 and 351 for 9 dec. (Ricky 111*, Charanjit 64, Chawla 4-75) Scorecard Ravneet Ricky scored an unbeaten century and off-break bowler Charanjit Singh scored a half-century to bat Uttar Pradesh out of the match. Punjab set UP an improbable 358 runs to get in 60 overs. Mohammad Kaif and Tanmay Srivastava scored half-centuries to ensure UP wouldn't face serious trouble in drawing the match. At the start of the day, the game was nicely poised with Punjab 244 runs in the lead with three wickets in hand. But UP could not get the remaining batsmen out in a hurry and Punjab didn't risk the three points they would get from the draw anyway. Ricky had resurrected the Punjab innings on the third day when they were reduced to 92 for 4. He carried on from his overnight 76* and found support in No. 9 Charanjit. They added 116 for the eighth wicket. Karnataka 221 and 170 for 3 (Raghu 66*) drew with Tamil Nadu 421 and 237 for 9 dec. (Srinivasan 50*, Aiyappa 4-65) Scorecard There was no adventurous declaration in Chennai either as Tamil Nadu, already 385 in lead, batted for another 12.3 overs to set Karnataka 438 to get in 75 overs. Raghu, Yere Goud hold firm to salvage a point for the visiting team WELL PLAYED: C. Raghu, with his loose, loopy backlift, put the bad balls away, hitting ten fours in his 195-ball knock. Karnataka, set a target of 438 in 75 overs, scored 170 for three in 68 overs before the match was called off, with eight mandatory overs completed. C. Raghu (66 not out, 195b, 10x4) and captain Yere Goud held firm on a fourth-day track that played few tricks to salvage a point for the visiting team. Tamil Nadu had earlier declared its second innings on 237 for nine. The host lost its seventh wicket, R. Ramkumar, without adding to its overnight score of 185. R. Srinivasan then raised 19 with V. Yomahesh and 33 with C. Suresh as he completed his third half-century of the season. The 22-year-old right-hander ended unbeaten on 50 (106b, 8x4). Karnataka seamer N.C. Aiyappa took four wickets for a match haul of seven. Vinay Kumar and Sunil Joshi split four wickets. Aggressive intent Robin Uthappa started Karnataka’s second innings in a flurry of boundaries. He hit six fours in his 26-ball 30, but was caught at mid-on off left-arm spinner Ramkumar. Amarnath had earlier scalped K.B. Pawan, caught at mid-wicket. Tamil Nadu managed just one wicket in the middle session. Part-time leg-spinner K. Shri Vasudeva Das induced an edge from Sudhindra Shinde (35). Wicketkeeper K.H. Gopinath made no mistake. Raghu and Goud batted time —the latter seemingly gave up all thoughts of scoring, consuming 97 balls for 19. Both often played inside the line of the ball while leaving, further frustrating Tamil Nadu’s bowlers. Raghu, with his loose, loopy backlift, put the bad balls away, hitting ten fours in his 195-ball innings. Tamil Nadu gained three points by virtue of having secured the first-innings lead, as the third round Ranji Trophy Super League match against Karnataka finished in a draw here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. After three rounds, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are placed fifth and sixth respectively in eight-team Group ‘A’. Tamil Nadu next plays Saurasthra here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium while Karnataka takes on Rajasthan in Mysore. Both matches begin on Saturday. . Delhi 251 and 252 for 3 (Gambhir 137*, Chopra 81) drew with Mumbai 166 and 471 for 9 dec. Scorecard SCINTILLATING SHOW: Gautam Gambhir was in brilliant form and notched up a century. A match that had swung first one way, then another, ended in a draw on a day that had its own twists. Delhi began the day needing a further 328 to beat Mumbai and set off down that path, inspired by Gautam Gambhir, before a short, sharp burst from Aavishkar Salvi - two wickets in two balls - after lunch stopped them in their tracks. Delhi reached 252 for 3 when the captains agreed to call off the game just before the mandatory overs were to start. The first session belonged to Delhi's openers. Gambhir and Aakash Chopra played by the book, circumspect in the first hour before opening up. Mumbai's erratic bowling display didn't improve matters and their problems were compounded by the benign pitch. Gambhir had made 80 and Chopra was one run behind as Delhi took lunch with the target in their sights - they required a further 212 from the remaining 52 overs. However, just as Pradeep Sangwan had done on Sunday, Salvi, who has been fighting injuries and bad form after peaking in 2003, came into his own after lunch and bowled with pace and consistency. He got the ball to move away from Chopra and Gambhir and was unlucky not to get a wicket as both batsmen swished and missed a few times. He was rewarded when Chopra, trying to defend on the up, failed to get his bat down to one that came in after pitching on good length. In came Sehwag and out he went; Salvi hit the same length as the previous delivery and the ball angled in, faster this time, and that was enough to catch the Delhi captain plumb in front. Mumbai's players suddenly had a spring in their step and Abhishek Nayar soon increased the excitement by trapping Virat Kohli in front of middle stump. From 188 for 0, Delhi had slipped to 189 for 3; in a matter of minutes the balance had shifted towards Mumbai. In the middle of all this Gambhir was treading the nervous nineties. Nayar had denied him a century in the first innings by getting him lbw when on 89. Gambhir was patient now, his primary responsibility was to bat for time given that Delhi had suddenly lost the momentum. He reached 99 with an on-drive off Nayar for his first boundary after lunch but couldn't manage a run for the next 22 balls, including three maiden overs from Ajit Agarkar who tested him with pace and movement. But Gambhir finally got the monkey off his back with a single off Powar to mid-off and repeatedly pointed towards the dressing room to show his relief. Through the match Gambhir had had exchanges with a few Mumbai players but he showed his the other side of his temperament by staying at the wicket when all around him, on both teams, were losing their head. The match had now become a contest in the mind. Mumbai's only intention was to defend at all costs and their bowlers, especially Ramesh Powar and Bhavesh Patel, had no qualms bowling a negative line. Gambhir and Mithun Manhas tried to force the issue initially, but settled down after a while. Seven overs after tea, with Delhi needing a further 134 from 15 overs, both captains decided to abandon the contest. Delhi took three points on the basis of the first-innings lead while Mumbai got a solitary point for the draw. At the end of the third round, Mumbai have nine points while Delhi have 11. Based on the quality of the teams a much more intense contest was expected of these two traditional rivals. Instead several big names on both sides, including Ajit Agarkar, Rohit Sharma, Ramesh Powar, Amol Muzumdar, Virender Sehwag, and Ishant Sharma failed to rise to the occasion. Saurashtra 307 and 253 for 3 dec. beat Rajasthan 172 and 188 (Dhurv 4-68, Pujara 2-4) by an innings and 200 runs Scorecard Rakesh Dhurv took four wickets to bowl Rajasthan out for 188 and earn Saurashtra a huge win by an innings and 200 runs. Saurashtra declared overnight to sent Rajasthan 389 in a day, but Rajasthan were never in the hunt. They lost their first wicket in the fourth over and kept losing them consistently since that. The top-score for them was 36 by Rajesh Bishnoi. Cheteshwar Pujara, whose 190-ball 151 in the second innings had set up the declaration, contributed with the ball too, taking two wickets in two overs. Rajasthan, in the end, were bowled out with 24.4 overs to spare. Hyderabad 261 and 272 for 4 (Arjun Yadav 101*, Shinde 66) drew with Baroda 476 for 9 dec. Scorecard HARD DAY’S WORK: Arjun Yadav and Amol Shinde were instrumental in helping Hyderabad draw its match against Baroda. It was the turn of Hyderabad captain N. Arjun Yadav to be the saviour. And he responded in style with a superbly-paced century and in the company of Amol Shinde helped Hyderabad force a creditable draw against Baroda on the final day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group match at Gymkhana Grounds here on Monday. With 181 runs in arrears and nine wickets in hand to ward off a probable defeat, Hyderabad had its task cut out. For Baroda, India star Irfan Pathan provided the early breakthrough cleaning up S. Anoop Pai (16) early in the morning with a beauty of an inswinger. In came Arjun and was lucky to see point fielder Azhar Bilakhia drop a simple catch when he slashed the first ball he faced from Irfan. But once he opened the account with a splendid straight six off off-spinner Yusuf Pathan, the Hyderabad skipper never looked back. At the other end, D.B. Ravi Teja (54, 89 balls, 9x4) failed once again to convert a brilliant innings into a big total as he flicked one from Yusuf Pathan straight to Solanki at mid-wicket. Then it was the turn of Arjun Yadav (101 not out, 207 balls, 15x4, 2x6) and Amol Shinde (57, 136 balls, 7x4) to stitch a fine 136-run stand for the third wicket which dashed whatever hopes Baroda entertained of pulling off an outright win. Two phases This was a partnership which was split into two phases — the first one of extreme caution to ensure that no wickets were lost with emphasis on staying put at the crease. Both Arjun Yadav and Shinde frustrated the designs of Baroda bowlers, particularly Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan, with an admirable defensive approach. This was evident from the fact that just 67 runs were scored between lunch and tea in 27 overs. But once Shinde departed in the first over after the tea, hitting Yusuf Pathan straight to mid-on, Arjun Yadav moved into top gear coming up with some special strokes. The way he walked down to loft Yusuf Pathan straight for another huge six and then laid back to essay delectable off-drives off Irfan Pathan and Sunit Singh, he seemed determined to prove a point or two to his critics. His second Ranji century of his career could not have come at a more appropriate time for his team. And once Arjun Yadav completed the century in the third mandatory over with Hyderabad score reading 272 for four, play was called off after both the captains felt there was nothing left in the match to continue playing. Baroda picked up three points by virtue of the first innings lead and Hyderabad one for holding out for a draw. ----------------------------------------------------- There have been three outright results in this round. PS: Details added!

[apocalypse]

Points table for Ranji Trophy Super League, 2007/08 after 3rd Round

[guju24]

i m betting for delhi...Go Delhi GO...

[chanakya]

Hemal Watekar has two centuries, shouldn't he be classified as an all rounder. Though he scored both in the same natch :D btw Chandan can you provide us with more information about Cheteshwar Pujara? He is only 19 and looks promising , only one in my SS who is scoring at least :D

[apocalypse]

He was one of the best batsman for India U-19 team. He has played 6 U-19 ODIs, scoring 243 runs with a high score of 80 not out

[Dravid]

baroda winning thissss

[Chandan]

Hemal Watekar has two centuries, shouldn't he be classified as an all rounder. Though he scored both in the same natch :D btw Chandan can you provide us with more information about Cheteshwar Pujara? He is only 19 and looks promising , only one in my SS who is scoring at least :D

I've seen him batting on few occasions and he seems to be a good opener in making. He has solid defense and is not too flashy. From his fightback against Delhi, he seems to be pretty steely too. But you just can't judge the players on Indian tracks. They might seem brilliant here but as soon as confronted with short-pitch deliveries on bouncy tracks, they are cruelly exposed as Raina was exposed in SA. I hope Pujara doesn't have that weakness but unless he travels to Australia or SA with India A squad and scores well there, we should not make an opinion about him. This is just my honest opinion!:regular_smile:

[Chandan]

Irfan roused by the Ranji challenge Hyderabad November 26, 2007 Irfan Pathan bowled his heart out on a pitch offering little assistance in Hyderabad © AFP It's around noon on a wintry day in Hyderabad and the few people who have turned up for the home side's game against Baroda are soaking up the sun. Everything seems blissful, fuzzy and warm. But Irfan Pathan is angry. In fact, he's screaming. He is standing in the middle of the pitch, arms akimbo, directing his ire at the hapless second-slip fielder who just hangs his head down. Ravi Teja, the man Irfan is desperately trying to dismiss, has just flashed a delivery past that fielder, standing wide, almost at third slip. The ball whizzed past, he didn't react. Irfan vents his anger in Gujarati and heads back to his run-up but he is not done yet. He clears his throat again: "Catch drop hota hai toh theek hai, lekin effort to kiya karo (It's okay if you drop the catch but at least make an effort). " Irfan's frustration, desire and ambition echo round the near-empty stadium. He'd bowled his heart out on a comatose wicket and got a few wickets as a reward. "Six wickets," he reminds you at the end of the match. And he also tells you the exact number of overs - 51 - he had bowled. "No other seamer from either team got more than three, you know," he says. True but no one else has played for India or is trying to break down the doors of Test selection. It has to be said, though, that he did bowl very well on a wicket that was dry, slow and didn't offer much bounce. Conditions didn't abet swing or seam movement. Irfan, who is yet to find the banana inswing that used to be his signature when he was in his pomp, sussed out the situation well and chose to create angles with his attack from round the stumps. He repeatedly brought the ball back into the right-handers and occasionally, straighten it from that angle. "You can't afford to be predictable on these tracks, you know," he said. "When you are bowling from over the wicket and especially when the pitch is very dry, it doesn't swing in the air much. You have to do something. So I went round for a majority of time." And, he adds, "I was quite successful in that as well." "The first innings I bowled really well and there were a few dropped catches too but I managed to trouble the batsman on this flat track. Masha Allah, I bowled well." That he did. With the new ball, on the second day, he scythed through the inexperienced Hyderabad line-up. Twice he got the ball to go through the gap between bat and pad to clean up Amol Shinde and Habeeb Ahmed before trapping Ashwin Yadav in front. But he knew Hyderabad's best batsman was Teja; hence the outburst at the errant fielder on the final day. Irfan wanted to snare him for the second time in the game but was denied by the fielder. "Teja played well, he went for his shots," Irfan says. "But at the same time, he was giving a few chances as well. For example yesterday [late on the third day] one edge fell just short of second slip." Flash back to the first day when Teja had surprised Irfan with a wide array of strokes. When Irfan hurled in a few bouncers, Teja pulled them with ease to the boundary. Irfan cranked up the pace and with a deep square leg, a fine leg and a short leg he banged a few in, only for Teja to defend them. Irfan then bowled one fuller, and saw the Hyderabadi wrists deftly steering it to the third-man boundary. Teja had scored 24 runs from 26 balls in Irfan's first spell, but Irfan exacted his revenge in the post-lunch session with a full delivery well outside off stump that straightened. Things are much better than they were last year, in fact much better than three years back The contest was resumed late on the third afternoon. In tangible terms, Teja had the better of that battle with confident boundaries and a few close chances that he survived, included the dropped chance that made Irfan lose his cool. He troubled Teja, but could not get him out as he eventually flicked a Yusuf Pathan delivery fatally into midwicket's hands. But considering the dead wicket, one might want to pick the bowler as the winner, but that might have to be weighed and cancelled out against the inexperience of the otherwise talented Teja. Irfan certainly enjoyed the contest and is looking to run into more of the same during the next few Ranji games. "I am pleased at the way I am going. I am just quietly playing my cricket. I got six wickets here and just keep bowling the way I am bowling. In this wicket, getting six wickets is a pretty good effort. So you can see where I am standing right now. I just have to keep performing. "I am happy with my performances in the ODIs and just waiting for my chance to get into the Test side. Things are much better than the way it was looking last year, in fact much better than three years back. That's what my feeling is." And he assures us that he is very focused on the job at hand and he has no message to give to the selectors. "There is no need to say anything, no need to look here and there, I have to just keep doing my work." Can't argue with that, can you? ----------------------------------------------- It is good that Pathan is trying to stamp his authority in the longer version too. Oh, how I wish that BCCI gives decent pitches which has something in it for the seamers in the FC cricket!!

[Chandan]

Some on and off the field incidents during ROUND III: November 27, 2007 When cricketers attack: Mohammad Kaif had an FIR slapped on him for roughing up an over eager photographer outside a movie theatre © Cricinfo Ltd The matches of the round Nishit Shetty, who moved from Mumbai to Tripura, fell 13 short of masterminding an incredible run-chase . Vidarbha had set Tripura 301 runs to get in 81 overs on the final day. Shetty scored 130 in 137 balls but the later half of the Tripura innings came apart. At one point, they needed 60 runs in more than 10 overs and had five wickets in hand. At Silchar, S Suresh scored 102 runs out of the 350 Assam scored in both innings and also took six wickets to help them beat Kerala, his former team, by 32 runs . Kerala, who were bowled out for 85 in the first innings, put up a stiff fight in the second innings, ending the third day needing 66 out of the 267 they were set. But they lost their last four wickets for 33 on the final morning. At the Barabati Stadium, Orissa, needing 295 runs on the final day, lost five of their wickets for 111 but their tail put up a commendable fight to almost eke out a draw . In the end, Niranjan Behera and Debasis Mohanty's efforts failed as Andhra dismissed the last Orissa batsman with 23 balls to spare. The partnerships for the eighth, ninth and 10th wickets lasted 15, 8.2 and 5.1 overs respectively. Oh for some enterprise Punjab and Tamil Nadu, who had secured first-innings leads against their respective opponents, could have ensured two more close matches had they made sporting declarations. As it happened, they chose to bat the opposition out, and then some more. Punjab set Uttar Pradesh 358 to get in 60 overs, while Karnataka were given 438 to chase in 75 overs. After some hitting in the first few overs, both teams shut shop after initial dismissals and played out safe draws. Punjab and Tamil Nadu are not to blame entirely as the team making a declaration has more to lose than gain by going for an outright win. Because if they happen to lose the match, they lose all the points they have gained for the first-innings lead. There should be some incentive that a team should be able to retain some points for the first-innings lead, irrespective of the result. Fight club In Chandigarh for a Ranji game in Mohali, Mohammad Kaif went to watch Om Shanti Om, the movie somehow every Indian player wants to watch (remember Dhoni and the boys at the premiere). One can't be sure if Kaif found it an utter waste of his money and time, but he didn't want to get caught in the act of coming out of the theatre. So much so that he roughed up an over eager photographer. It didn't sit well with the journalistic fraternity in Chandigarh and they had to knock the doors of Home Secretary Krishnan Mohan, who finally got an FIR lodged against Kaif. Kaif, in the end, buckled down under the pressure and made a resolution to move on in life. "Kaif shook hands with Ravi Kumar (the victim of his aggression), wishing him 'the best'," the Tribune reported. "Everyone commits mistakes. It is not my life to go to the police and courts... My life is in my game and I should focus on it," Kaif was quoted as saying. The paper went on to say: "He said he could not sleep last night and had received calls from his parents and friends. The way the incident had been projected had upset him and he would be returning with bitter memories of the city." When he did move on to the real purpose of visit to the city, Kaif collected mixed memories from the cricket as well. After having restricted Punjab to 103 for 4 and 92 for 4, Kaif's Uttar Pradesh let Punjab score more than 350 on both occasions. And when they batted they fell short by six runs of a first-innings lead. The only solace for Kaif: he scored two half-centuries in the match, the second one to ensure a draw and with that a point. One can only hope that Kaif looks at the positives from the visit to Chandigarh. Most difficult place to field It's official: the Mumbai crowd is equally hostile to local players. Ramesh Powar, the homeboy who has been one of their best players this season, had to go through the torture of having to field at the boundary near the Garware Pavilion, which is fast becoming one of the most unpleasant fielding positions in world cricket. To his credit, Powar endured the Motu Powar and Jadeya (both meaning fat in Hindi and Marathi respectively) chants and other abuse all day. But it turned out he had marked him men in the crowd and bashed them up after the day's play. "They abused me personally and that is what upset me. I could not help but react," Powar told Mid Day, the local tabloid. Well, it is only human to react, as did Dilip Vengsarkar during the Ranji Trophy final in 1994-95, the paper didn't fail to remind us. But it couldn't have been worth Powar's time and effort to get physically involved. Bat-ter luck next time Virender Sehwag, back to playing Ranji games, had in his kit one of Sachin Tendulkar's bat, autographed by Tendulkar. At the nets, on the eve of the Delhi-Mumbai game, he put the bat to good use, Mumbai paper DNA reported. "Dear Viru, wishing you the best always," read the message, according to the paper. Sehwag, though, refused to talk much about the bat. "Sachin may get upset [if he did talk]. If he gets upset he may not give me his bats anymore." One can't be sure if he batted with the same bat in the match. He scored 16 in the first innings and when he batted for the second time, there was no bat involved: he was out lbw on the first ball. The fan request of the week A lot can change in a year. Irfan Pathan, fresh from a successful comeback to Indian ODI side, was back to representing Baroda in a Ranji match at Hyderabad. The crowd turned matchmaker and chanted, "Irfan bhai, please marry our Sania." A welcome change, one can be sure, from the Chappell ka chamcha chants he had to endure in Baroda at the start of this year. Quotehanger Guess who's back. The incomparable Ashish Nehra. He is not playing the Ranji Trophy just as yet. Quite to the contrary, his ankle injury will take two more months to heal, by when the Ranji Trophy will have ended. But our man is optimistic, so optimistic he seems to have made a basic error. "I am sure to play the Duleep and Deodhar Trophies and one-dayers." Just to break the cruel news, the zonal Duleep Trophy teams comprise some of the best performers in the Ranji Trophy and Nehra is not playing in that.

[Chandan]

The rebel's tale: Ambati Rayudu November 24, 2007 Rayudu: 'I didn't want to play ten years of domestic cricket and feel that I have not played any international-quality opposition' © Getty Images Hyderabad cricket has been hit hard by the Indian Cricket League. Nine players vanished. We know why they left: first-class careers that were leading to cul-de-sacs, a chance to rub shoulders with international stars, grudges against the system. And money. Lots of money. It's a free world and everyone makes their own choices, but how are these former Hyderabad players doing three months after they signed off their state caps - and in the case of one, Ambati Rayudu, a possible India cap? Cricinfo spoke to five of them at a plush resort off the NH7 Hyderabad-Mumbai highway, where some of the ICL boys currently are for a camp. Rayudu and the others - Anirudh Singh, D Vinay Kumar, Ibrahim Khalil and Kaushik Reddy - were understandably hesitant to open up beyond the standard answers of how everything is great, the future rosy, and the ICL the best thing to have happened to them. Look beyond the platitudes and the jargon, though, and you perceive in the answers the wish to seek fresh starts to their careers. Rayudu's decision is the most difficult to understand. "Rayudu was touted as India's next great batting hope ever since he started training at the National Cricket Academy in 2001," his Cricinfo player page says. "... However, his batting since then hasn't matched initial expectations; he has failed to earn a call-up for the national team and has been overtaken by several of his U-19 team-mates, including Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik." Why would such a player, at 21, decide to burn the bridge that could have led to the Indian team? Vivek Jaisimha, Hyderabad's coach, who worked with Rayudu during the 2006-07 season, thinks it was the wrong call. "Of all the players who went there, I think his is the most tragic case. He was knocking on doors, just a couple of big innings away into getting into real form, but he has been playing a victim too long. The bat was always in his hand, he should have gone out there and proved his talent. Silence the critics. But he didn't make the big scores in the last few seasons. He would threaten to get a big score but then throw it away." Rayudu's troubles started in the 2004-05 season . He entered the year on the back of a healthy 45.55 average the previous season and a stupendous run for India A in Kenya , where he averaged 152. Things were looking bright. Then, suddenly, the lights went out. He averaged 11.92 that year from 13 innings, with 36 as the highest score. Rayudu points out that not many understood that his low scores were coming in low-scoring games on a wicked track in Hyderabad. "The Gymkhana was a uneven and seaming track," he says. "All the opposition teams too were getting 150 and we would score, say, over 200. There were five home games and we won all." Jaisimha agrees that it was indeed a brute of track. The scorecards provide additional evidence. Only twice did teams touch 300 (Hyderabad did it once); 13 times sides were shot for under 200 (including three scores of under 100). Five victories came for Hyderabad from seven games. "I thought that was what should have counted," Rayudu says. "I was happy that the team was doing well. Tell me how can you rate batting on that track on the same par with something elsewhere?" He is quick to add that he was very grateful to his Hyderabad selectors, who understood the situation and didn't think about dropping him. "They were very supportive and I would like to thank them. But I am talking about the bigger picture. The system is wrong. There is no proper method to track players." The average of 11 doesn't cut ice with for Jaisimha, though. "Look, I was not the coach then but I feel he could have scored more than that - though I see his point. Also, I would say everybody could have a bad season or two. That was probably his. No shame in running into bad form, but he started to play victim there. He needs to stop finding reasons elsewhere." Following problems with Rajesh Yadav, the Hyderabad coach at the time, Rayudu moved to Andhra the following season in search of better luck. He averaged 35.11, with a top score of 87, for them and then returned to Hyderabad to play under Jaisimha the next season. As it happened, Hyderabad moved out of the Gymkhana ground and started to play at the new stadium in Uppal that year. But as luck would have it, Rayudu was sidelined with a knee injury and played only two games. Jaisimha thinks the situation - a combination of lack of runs, hurt at being considered a flash in the pan, and the injury - made Rayudu claustrophobic. "He is a very, very competitive guy, very aggressive," says Jaisimha. "But then he started having problems with umpires and with things that were not in control. He never could control his emotions, let's say, to his detriment. He would allow things to affect him. He was always finding something to crib against; he was never at fault." Did Jaisimha speak to Rayudu? "Many times. We would have heart-to-heart discussions. He would say the right things, everything would look all right, but on the ground he would go back and do the same thing, showing little respect to the team plan." Things came to a boil in mid-2007. In April that year, during the Inter-state Twenty20 tournament against Andhra in Vishakapatnam , Jaisimha appointed Rayudu, who had recovered from injury by then, captain and dropped Anirudh Singh and Arjun Yadav for lack of commitment. Rayudu responded by hitting 75 and led his team to a victory. Cut to the KSCA All India Invitation Tournament in Bangalore in August and to a game against Air India where, allegedly, all hell broke loose in the dressing room after Rayudu came back after getting out cheaply. A newspaper said he threw a tantrum and that Jaisimha upbraided him, leading to a brawl. Both Jaisimha and Rayudu say nothing of the sort happened. Jaisimha says he only made clear his disappointment with the performance of the top order. He had decided to drop Rayudu for the next game, against Chemplast. "I was going to "rest" him for the next match to give him chaabi (wind him up). I told the selectors about it." Vinay Kumar, the captain says that was when he stepped in to his friend's defence. "I told them [the selectors], 'If you drop him, you will have to drop me also.' Both of us got hundreds in the next game. We had made our point." Jaisimha says that if he had known about this solidarity earlier, he would have dropped Vinay Kumar too. The team management felt Rayudu was missing the point. In their eyes, he had thrown his wicket away again after getting to the hundred. They were unhappy with his body language, and feared that the old habits would kick in again. This [iCL] is our chance to play against quality opposition for three years and it will also be telecast on TV. People will hopefully see me perform. And I want to perform for my own personal satisfaction "He had taken it easy again," says a source. "He had proved his point and I could tell from his body language that he had taken it easy again. I just knew that he wouldn't score much in the next game." Rayudu made 4, in what has turned out to be his last innings for Hyderabad since. Jaisimha still believes in Rayudu's talent and wishes he had more time to work with him. "He is a unique player, very special, he just needs to get his attitude right. I saw him as an India potential. I hope he gets what he wants in the ICL - such a talent should not go waste." Roger Binny, the former India player and former junior coach, has already gone on record with his disappointment at how the Rayudu story has unfolded. "In a [junior] match in England in 2000, we were chasing a modest target," he told the Indian Express. "But it rained and because of the Duckworth-Lewis revised target we lost the match. He started crying in the dressing room. He didn't want to lose; he was very committed. "They [the national selectors] should have picked him right after his under-19 stint. He needed to be guided properly." Rayudu, for his part, admits he missing playing in the Ranji games that are on currently, but says he is trying to move on. "We are available to play but they have banned us. "I didn't want to play ten years of domestic cricket and feel that I have not played any international-quality opposition. We were not getting selected for higher grades. If you were playing for Duleep Trophy or India A, it's a different thing. But this is our chance to play against quality opposition for three years and it will also be telecast on TV. People will hopefully see me perform. And I want to perform for my own personal satisfaction." "This is my reality check," he says. "I am very focused on doing well here and improving my cricket. Hopefully things will fall in place. I would love to play for India one day." Could that still happen? Rayudu's story is one that has had plenty of twists and turns. No one can predict how it will end. We just have to keep tuning in. --------------------------------------------------------------- Those who feel that there is nothing wrong with Indian domestic structure and runs made here as well as wickets taken here must count, just need to read this article to know the faults of the system, the kind of pitches on which matches are played, and folly of judging players just by the stats-books!! I'm still very disappointed at losing a talent like Rayudu because of bad administration, coaching and lack of proper guidance!

[beetle]

>>>>>Those who feel that there is nothing wrong with Indian domestic structure and runs made here as well as wickets taken here must count, just need to read this article to know the faults of the system, the kind of pitches on which matches are played, and folly of judging players just by the stats-books!! I'm still very disappointed at losing a talent like Rayudu because of bad administration, coaching and lack of proper guidance! Agree....one of the most promising guys...

[The Outsider]

One draw after another in the domestic matches. Either they should make these matches 5 day affairs or prepare better tracks. Right now teams just play for the first innings lead.

[Chandan]

Rajasthan on verge of relegation November 30, 2007 Robin Uthappa, back from the Indian ODI side, is yet to dazzle on the Ranji scene © Cricinfo Ltd The Ranji season has reached the stage at which teams have to keep an eye on other results in their respective pools. Karnataka, sitting in fifth place in the Super League Group A with eight points from three games, will want to make the most of this match against Rajasthan. Already thrashed three times this season, the young Rajasthan team are under intense pressure to avoid relegation. Rahul Dravid's role in Karnataka's first two games was crucial, but he and Anil Kumble are back in the Indian side and won't be returning this Ranji season and Karnataka will have to rely on their core strength going forward. The star is Robin Uthappa, but he is yet to ignite this domestic season as he did last season with his exciting hundred here at the Gangothri Glades. Thilak Naidu, the wicketkeeper-batsman, and C Raghu, the offspinning allrounder, are key players and have done well this season. The bowling will again be led by Vinay Kumar and NC Aiyappa, the right-arm medium-pace duo, and Sunil Joshi, the veteran left-arm spinner. There's little to speak of in terms of back-up, but with Rajasthan's batting struggling so far that could well prove enough. Gagan Khoda, who played two one-day internationals for India in 1998, is the only Rajasthan batsman in form. His 244 runs are the high for the team by some distance, and highlight his side's plight this year: they just haven't been able to put up big totals. Pankaj Singh, the 22-year-old fast bowler, has done well in the last two seasons and has India A experience. That aside, the cupboard looks fairly bare this year. Rajasthan appeared to show a bit of fight in their last game, against Maharashtra, but the bowlers need runs to defend. A cursory palm across the surface showed it was hard, but there's a tinge of green too. Vijay Bhardwaj, Karnataka's coach, and Nagaraja, the curator, concurred in their readings of the wicket. "We've tried to make a sporting pitch," Nagaraja said. "It is definitely looking like a four-day surface, with lots of bounce for the quick bowlers. That said, it will also assist the spinners late on the second day." Bowling first may seem like an option, but it might still be better to bat first and see out the first session. This is only the second match at Gangothri Glades since the Ranji Trophy returned to Mysore last season after 18 years. Karnataka won that match against Haryana by 253 runs, with Uthappa and Barrington Rowland lighting up the third day with a stunning 213-run opening stand. Rowland has been dropped for this game following a string of average performances following that innings. Situated on the scenic University of Mysore campus, with the Chamundi Hills in the background, the large, tree-ringed ground bore a festive look. Shamianas (tents) were being set up, as were loudspeakers and an array of coloured chairs. A good amount of sponsorship has been generated for this match, the sponsors including Reid & Taylor. A good weekend crowd is expected, made up primarily of university students. Spreading cricket into the smaller parts of the country is important and a rollicking innings from the likes of Uthappa or a stellar spell from the likes of Pankaj would be apt advertisement for a town where top-level cricket seldom rolls through. Teams: Karnataka (probable): 1 Robin Uthappa, 2 KB Pawan, 3 Sudhindra Shinde, 4 C Raghu, 5 Yere Goud (capt), Thilak Naidu (wk), 7 B Akhil, 8 Sunil Joshi, 9 R Vinay Kumar, 10 KP Apanna, 11 NC Aiyappa. Rajasthan (probable): 1 Rohit Jhalani (wk), 2 Gagan Khoda, 3 Nikhil Doru, 4 Vineet Saxena, 5 Robin Bist, 6 Rajesh Bishnoi, 7 Afroz Khan, 8 Shamsher Singh, 9 Pankaj Singh, 10 Mohammad Aslam (capt), 11 Nishan Singh.

[Chandan]

Looks like no one is interested in the domestic tournament anymore. Anyway, I'll add the preview of other matches and then we'll see how the first day of Round IV went! Wet, wet wait for Delhi: Visitors skip nets due to rain ahead of crucial tie with HP THERE IS a buzz - an air of anticipation - that has engulfed this small town. And none of it has anything to do with the fact that the likes of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir are here. Assembly elections are just round the corner in the state and it is not difficult to see the excitement. Processions led by loud drums and smiling candidates greet you wherever you go. Elections, however: aren't the only thing happening in Dharamsala at the moment. From Saturday, 11 men from the Capital will go to batt1e in a crucial Ranji Trophy match against hosts Himachal Pradesh at the HPCA Cricket Stadium. Weather permitting, of course. The Delhi team arrived here on Thursday and were welcomed, much to their pleasant surprise, by sunshine. Friday, however proved to be quite the opposite. Black clouds moved in rather ominously right from daybreak. What had been a breeze so far suddenly turned into bitingly cold wind and, within minutes of Delhi hitting the nets, the heavens opened up. There is a local saying that the Himachal team is quite like the Dharamsala weather; you never know what to expect from it. In the three matches so far this season, Himachal have only been able to glean just a solitary point. A statistic which clearly shows that the step-up from the Plate to the Super League hasn't exactly been a smooth transition. And this lack of form has earned the hosts the tag of 'whipping boys'. Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya warned his team would not take the game lightly If Himachal have been struggling with the big boys, Delhi haven't had such a good start in recent times. In fact, the team could only manage 13 points the whole of last season, while they already have 11 points from their first three games this time around. They outplayed both Rajasthan and Saurashtra at home - but for the last day against the latter - and played out a gritty draw away to champions Mumbai. So, on paper: the game against Himachal looks to be five, maybe even six, points for the taking. Easier said than done, though. Almost all of the Himachal players play their league cricket in Delhi and would undoubtedly love to put one over their illustrious rivals. They have a seam-heavy attack, with six fast bowlers in the squad and, seeing the overcast conditions, would love to have a crack at Delhi first up. While Sehwag, Gambhir, Aakash Chopra and Mithun Manhas are sure to play, Virat Kohli could make way for Shikhar Dhawan in the eleven. As for the bowlers, offie Narender Singh could sit out for Amit Bhandari. Ishant Sharma was scheduled to reach later in the day from Kolkata, as was Parwinder Awana. SQUADS Delhi: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra, Mithun Manhas, Rajat Bhatia, Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Tehlan, Virat Kohli, Puneet Bisht, Amit Bhandari, Ishant Sharma, Pradeep Sangwan, Chetnya Nanda, Narender Singh. Himachal: Sandeep Sharma, Manish Gupta, Ajay Mannu, Paras Dogra, Manvinder Bisla, Mukesh Sharma, Sarandeep Singh, Vishal Bhatia, Ashok Thakur, Vikramjeet Malik, Varun Mishra, Barun Sharma, Abhishek, Mohinder Sharma. Punjab vs Bengal at Silliguri THE TEAMS had started with similar predicaments, losing a lot of their talent to the T20 roadshow that kicked off in Panchkula on Friday, but cut a study in contrasts just as the Ranji Trophy group league stage approaches the halfway mark. With Bengal seeking a revival, Punjab are looking to consolidate on a sedate yet handy start before the Elite Group B fixture beginning on Saturday at the Kanchanjungha Stadium embedded in the foothills of this side of the Himalayas. Threatening to make it an uphill task for Bengal is Yuvraj Singh, itching to bat at a stage of his career when his vastly improved and marvellous batting skills are not getting a chance to blossom beyond the abridged and ultra-abridged versions of the game. That's why Punjab skipper Pankaj Dharmani's pre-match proclamation that he was "very confident of doing well" didn't sound routine standing near a pitch which had some grass on it and also keeping in mind the fact that his pacers Gagandeep Singh and VRV Singh are available together Assistance for quick bowlers was just what Bengal wanted too, but their plans suffered a body blow when Shib Sankar Paul pulled a hamstring during nets in the morning. News that instructions had been sent to trim the grass confirmed that the burly bowler is almost ruled out of this game. The department to have lost vital players to the ICL has somehow not done too badly for Bengal, barring the second-innings capitulation against Baroda. TEAMS: Bengal (likely) Laxmi Ratan Shukla (capt), Arindam Das, Anustup Majumdar, S Ghosh, Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Kamal Hasan Mondal, Sourasish Lahiri, Souray Sarkar, Ranadeb Bose, Ashoke Dinda. Punjab (from) Pankaj Dharmani (capt), Rayneet Ricky, Karan Goel, Sunny Sohal, Yuvraj Singh, Uday Kaul (wk), Ravi Inder, Ankur Kakkar, Manpreet Gony, Charanjit Singh, Vikram Raj Veer Singh, Gagandeep Singh, Birinder Singh, Varun Khanna, Chandan Madan, S LaddaTHE

[The Outsider]

Not true, Chandan. I for one read only this thread to keep me at pace with the Ranji Trophy. Don't think that if you are not getting too many responses people are not reading or appreciating this thread. With the India-Pakistan series on it becomes a slightly lower priority for most posters. But as I said in another thread, really disappointed to see Yuvraj back out due to a stomach ailment and looking forward to Sehwag's performance, even though it's against HP.

[Chandan]

ROUND IV, DAY ONE December 1, 2007 Tamil Nadu 262 for 1 (Vijay 129*, Mukund 120) v Saurashtra Scorecard I'll have one more: Abhinav Mukund scored his second century in his second Ranji match to give Tamil Nadu a perfect start © Cricinfo Ltd THE CENTURIONS:Tamil Nadu’s M. Vijay and Abhinav Mukund dominated the Saurashtra bowling on the opening day. A double-century stand for the opening wicket between Abhinav Mukund (120) and M. Vijay (129 batting) enabled Tamil Nadu end day one against Saurashtra at 262 for one in a fourth round cricket match of the Ranji Trophy super league at the M. Chidambaram Stadium here on Saturday. On a track that had little for the bowlers — it is believed that it will assist turn as the match progresses; “a typical Chepauk pitch” as some would say — the two had a field day. Barring left-arm medium-pacer Sandip Jobenputra, who extracted a bit of movement and pace, the rest hardly did anything to warrant attention. Brilliant batting While Vijay took a while to settle down, Abhinav eased into his role pretty quickly. The 17-year-old picked the line and length of the medium-pacers Jobenputra and Sandip Maniar well and was as elegant and stylish as any left-hander on show in the domestic circuit. Vijay, the highest run-getter for Tamil Nadu last season, did not grind his runs; instead he took the attack to the opposition. Once the spinners came on to the scene, it was Vijay who took his chances and succeeded. The third century of his career and first this season came at a stage when his team needed it badly. On this day, he turned out to be more dominating. Seldom did Vijay appear tentative against the spinners unlike his opening partner. However, both raced to their centuries in style; Vijay clobbered left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja over long-on for a six, while Abhinav pierced the infield with a cover-drive off left-armer Rakesh Dhruv. Attractive Vijay’s unbeaten and attractive 129 (270b) was studded with 13 well-constructed boundaries and four hits over the ropes. Abhinav, who scored a century on his debut, returned to a lot of cheers from the dressing room for his fine 120 (271b, 13x4, 1x6). He was caught slashing straight into the hands of Makwana at gully off Maniar in the penultimate over of the day. Missed chance Vijay had a reprieve at 89 when he was dropped by Maniar on his follow-through. In a bid to achieve a breakthrough, Saurashtra used part-timers such as Pujara, Kotak and Jaydev Shah. However, nothing went its way. Punjab 210 for 7 (Goel 56, Dinda 2-36 ) v Bengal Scorecard Punjab squandered a good start as Bengal struck with wickets towards the end of the day to reduce the opposition to 210 for 7 at Siliguri. After winning the toss, Punjab got off to a good start when their openers made Bengal wait for 26.3 overs and 78 runs for their first success. Although they lost another wicket in the next over, the middle order stabilised the proceedings after that. But, from 177 for 3, they lost Panjak Dharmani and Uday Kaul, their mainstays this season, in quick succession and they lost four wickets for 25 towards the end of the day's play. Karan Goel, the opener, scored 52 and Kaul managed 42. There were a few hundreds present at the ground when the Bengal-Punjab Ranji Trophy match got underway at the Kanchanjunga Stadium on Saturday and the number swelled to close to 2,000 by lunch time. Many mistook a Punjab player for Yuvraj Singh unaware that the star they had come to watch was about to leave. Hit by a stomach infection late on Friday night, Yuvraj needed medical attention almost throughout the rest of his stay here till Saturday afternoon before leaving for Kolkata. He was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disorder and chest congestion, which according to doctors, resulted in vomiting and stomach pain. He needed injections and medicines at night before being put on drip in his hotel room in the mormng. The news here from local organisers was that his condition was so serious that he would be admitted to hospital on reaching Kolkata, but that was not the case. Yuvraj returned to the Indian team's hotel from where he had a day earlier set out for this city in northern Bengal for what would have been his 73 rd first-class match - the first after one against Sri Lanka A in England in August. Dr Dibakar Sinha, who saw Yuvraj on Friday night and the morning after, said it was a case of food poisoning and not very senous. "The only problem is that his body has lost a lot of fluid, which is why we decided to give him the saline. He is weak and needs rest for about three days. When he becomes fit for a match should be determined by the doctors who see him afterwards." After being escorted to the Bagdogra airport with adequate security amid semichaotic scenes at the Punjab team's hotel, Yuvraj flew off to Kolkata. It was learnt that he was feeling better after checking into the Indian team's hotel. Folks here were not bad, but a little sad nonetheless for missing a rare chance to watch a superstar in action. Maharashtra 308 for 5 (Takawale 83*, Bhilare 78) v Mumbai Scorecard MUMBAI PAID a heavy price after Amol Muzumdar decided to field first on Saturday morning. At stumps on Day One, Maharashtra were 308 for five at the Wankhede Stadium. The presence of moisture on the pitch made Muzumdar put Maharashtra in. But, coupled with three dropped catches, Mumbai had a bad beginning to their fourth round of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A clash. Not many expected the fifthwicket pair of Yogesh Takawa1e and Vishal Bhilare to get 83 not out (159b, 9x4, 1x6) and 78 (129b, 11x4, 1x6) respectively and share 130 in over two-and-a-half hours. But the right-left combination has taken Maharashtra to a commanding position from where Mumbai will have to toil to take the first innings honours. Takawale looked to play his strokes from the beginning but calmed down when the lefthanded Bhilare cut loose. Bhilare was sedate to start with, blocking whatever came his way But he opened up, driving, cutting, lofting over the infield and hammering the frustrated Mumbai bowlers all over Takawale was on 26 when Bhilare joined him at 142 for four The duo played without any fear The pitch also suited them well. A desperate Muzumdar tried different combinations, gave his bowlers shorter spells, but nothing worked. Takawa1e and Bhilare impressed with their attitude. In fact, Bhilare's place in the XI was in doubt before coach Chandrakant Pandit decided to give him another chance. Muzumdar's bowlers sprayed all over the place. Ajit Agarkar and Avishkar Salvi were unsett1ed by openers Vishant More (24, 27b, 4x4) and Harshad Khadiwale (42, 72b, 7x4), giving Maharashtra a solid start. They raised 34 in six-and-a-half overs before debutant medium-pacer Murtuza struck with his third ball in first class cricket. The right-handed More frustrated Agarkar by going through his routine of looking skywards, adjusting his gears before facing every ball. He even frustrated Agarkar by making him wait on top of his bowling mark more than once. Hussain, replacing Agarkar after a 3-0-17-0 spell, deceived More through the air and rattled his off-stump. Left-handed Hrishikesh Kanitkar joined Khadiwale and added 51 for the second wicket. Khadiwa1e, centurion on debut against Tamil Nadu in the first round, survived on 31 when an edge off Abhishek Nayar went abegging, Sahil Kukreja at first slip dived to his left and only got his finger tips. The experienced Kanitkar was in good touch before falling leg before to Nayar for 18. Khadiwale followed soon, edging Hussain's first ball of his second spell to Kukreja at second slip for 42. Baroda 318 for 9 (Parab 71, Irfan Pathan 57, Raina 3-40) v Uttar Pradesh Scorecard Suresh Raina was Uttar Pradesh's bowling weapon as they pulled things back after Baroda had had the best of the first two sessions at Kanpur. Raina took three wickets for 40 runs and dsmissed half-centurions Rakesh Solanki and Irfan Pathan who had started to look dangerous. Earlier, Satyajit Parab helped Baroda recover from the early loss of Connor Williams, and in company of Azharuddin Bilakhia and Solanki, took Baroda to a strong position. Parab scored 71 and Bilakhia, 48 as the two fell within 16 runs of each other. Solanki and Irfan threatened to take Baroda to a much higher total before Raina struck, as Baroda were reduced from 259 for 5 to 300 for 9. UP's other two internationals, Praveen Kumar and Piyush Chawla, took three wickets apiece. Himachal Pradesh 228 for 5 (Gupta 49, Mukesh Sharma 40, Nanda 3-57) v Delhi Scorecard SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS glistening in the sun overlooking a lush green ground, strains of sunshine peeping through the clouds - Dharamsala on Saturday was probably the closest to the perfect venue to play a game of cricket you'd ever get. The cricket, however, was far from perfect. Delhi and Himacha1 played out a dull, dreary first day of their Ranji game, with neither team seizing the opportunities that came their way in the course of the day At stumps, the hosts had crawled their way to 228 for 5 after being put in by Delhi. The decision had undoubtedly been governed by the fact that the wicket had been covered for the most part of an overcast Friday, and the belief that the Delhi pacers had it in them to take advantage of that. That, however, wasn't how it turned out. The Himachal batsmen hardly found the wicket difficult to bat on, while the Delhi pacers weren't getting any of the expected movement. The duo of Monish Gupta and Mukesh Sharma kept the scoreboard ticking, albeit at an excruciatingly slow pace, the decision of putting the opposition in was looking like a costly mistake. Delhi's cause was not helped by dropped catches. The visitors dropped as many as five catches. Lunch was taken with the hosts not suffering any further casualties, a position they would not have expected to find themselves in. But then, much to Delhi's delight and relief, Gupta succumbed to a rush of blood, a rash shot. Batting on 43, he tried to drive Chetanya Nanda - Delhi's best bowler with 3 for 56 on Saturday - over mid-on but fell to a brilliant catch by Amit Bhandari. What made the dismissal even sweeter for Delhi was that Bhandari had dropped Gupta on the third ball of that over A determined Bhandari more than made up for that dropped catch by removing new man Ajay Mannu to make it 108 for 3. Mukesh Sharma, however, was holding one end up, and in Barun Sharma found another dogged partner who was willing to fight it out. Spin was proving to be the most potent weapon Delhi could throw at the batsmen and Nanda was the most able soldier The leggie removed both the Sharmas with ones that kept dangerously low, and Delhi were just about moving in on the Himachal tail. Just when the familiar script - that of a Himachal Pradesh collapse after a good start - looked like repeating itself, they found resistance from Paras Dogra and Maninder Bisla. who, however, had other ideas. They put together an unbeaten 74-run partnership to quicken the scoring rate and help their team finish the day on a positive note. Delhi have come to plot a coup in Himachal, but after stumps on the first day one thing was clear- the hosts will put up more than just a token of resistance.to end the day at 228 for 5. From 103 for 1, they had been reduced to 153 for 5 and a tame end looked imminent, as it has happened often this season. Dogra and Bisla scored unbeaten thirties, batted out close to 20 overs, and ensured that Himachal were in the competition at the end of the first day. Earlier Manish Gupta and Mukesh Sharma scored half-centuries and took Himachal past 100 for the loss of only one wicket. It was legspinner Chetanya Nanda for Delhi who had triggered the collapse with figures of 3 for 57. Rajasthan 266 for 4 (Sharma 68, Bist 62*) v Karnataka Scorecard The Rajasthan batsmen put up their most creditable show so far in the season, as they ended the first day in Mysore at 266 for 4. In the absence of Gagan Khoda, their leading run-scorer going into the match, they had a good opening stand from Manish Sharma and Vineet Saxena. Saxena just missed his half-century, falling in the 37th over with the score on 120. Sunil Joshi struck again six runs later, causing a minor collapse as Rajasthan soon found themselves down at 159 for 4 in the 61st over.Robin Bist and Rohit Jhalani then scored sixties, denied Karnataka another wicket, and added 107 for the unbroken fifth-wicket partnership. Hyderabad 201 for 8 (Ravi Teja 81, Mohanty 4-49, Sehgal 3-53) v Orissa Scorecard Hyderabad wasted a rollicking start from DB Ravi Teja, collapsing from 97 for 0 to 184 for 8. Pragyan Ojha and Ashwin Yadav survived more than 10 overs to end the day at 201 for 8. It was Teja's morning as he had scored 81 out of Hyderabad's 97 when he got out. In stark contrast to his 102.53 per 100 balls, the next best strike-rate was his opening partner Daniel Manohar's - 37.96, the only one in the thirties. Manohar scored 41. For Orissa, Debasis Mohanty bowled 25 overs for 49 runs and took four wickets. Mohanty was supported well by left-arm medium-pacer Sourabha Sehgal who took 3 for 53. PS: Edited!

[Cricketics]

why is saangwan not playing for DILLI.. bowled well against mumbai

[Dravid]

baroda in good position.. :D also.. no raina doing it with the ball too...3 wickets :D