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

[apocalypse]

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

i just substituted him for dhawan before this match :angry_smile:

[Dravid]

that kallu guy is way ahead man..i think compi is over now:P

[apocalypse]

there are still lot of matches left plus he has not substituted many

[apocalypse]

1st Day Round Up - 4th Round Tamil Nadu 262 for 1 (Vijay 129*, Mukund 120) v Saurashtra Scorecard M Vijay and Abhinav Mukund gave Tamil Nadu the perfect start as they ended the first day in Chennai with only one wicket down. Vijay scored an unbeaten 129, his third first-class century in 12 matches, while Mukund scored 120, his second in as many Ranji games. Out of the two, Mukund was the cautious partner in the 256-run stand, as Vijay hit four sixes and 13 fours in his innings. Vijay's strike-rate came down to around 50 only towards the end of the day when they started playing for stumps. The dream start to Mukund's career continued as he moved up from No. 3 with the same results. 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. Maharashtra 308 for 5 (Takawale 83*, Bhilare 78) v Mumbai Scorecard The Maharashtra batsmen made Mumbai work hard at the Wankhede Stadium, each of them reached double figures and ended the first day in charge at 308 for 5. The major scoring honours, though, went to Nos 5 and 6 Yogesh Takawale and Vishal Bhilare respectively. Takawale, the wicketkeeper-batsman, ended the day nearing a maiden century and his unbeaten 83 is already his highest score in first-class cricket. Bhilare fell about an hour before stumps for 78. 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 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 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.

[Cricketics]

i just substituted him for dhawan before this match :angry_smile:

haa so u knew he wasn't playing.. lucky u

[apocalypse]

haa so u knew he wasn't playing.. lucky u

arre matlab I dint know :(

[Chandan]

ROUND IV, DAY TWO December 2, 2007 Delhi 75 (Malik 6-25, Thakur 4-45) and 38 for 0 (Sehwag 31*, Gambhir 3*) trail Himachal Pradesh 343 (Dogra 81, Bisla 50, Nanda 4-74) by 230 runs Scorecard M Vijay scored an unbeaten 230 to put Tamil Nadu in a position of strength against Saurashtra © Cricinfo Ltd FOR DELHI, there always seems to be a sting in the tale, one that is, more often than not, orchestrated by the tail. In certainly their worst display so far this season, Delhi were bundled out for a paltry 75 in the first innings against Himachal. It was an appalling display from the Delhi batsmen. On a wicket where the duo of Paras Dogra (81) and Sarandeep Singh (37) had made run-scoring look like a relatively hassle-free task in the morning, the much-vaunted Delhi batting struggled to even get bat to ball in the afternoon. The wicket, it would seem, had suddenly turned into a minefield. The truth, however, was that Delhi's downfall was a result of some very pedestrian batting, disciplined bowling from the opposition and most importantly, the decision to bowl first. The home skipper, Sandeep Sharma, had said on the eve of the game that irrespective of the overcast conditions, the wicket would be a batting track. Strangely, Delhi skipper Virender Sehwag decided to put the opposition in. A decision he must have been ruing after the fall of every Delhi wicket. The big guns - Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Aakash Chopra - all fell silent within minutes. Sehwag dragged one on to his stumps, Gambhir was adjudged lbw and Chopra slashed one to slip. Thirty-one for three, and suddenly Himachal weren't just making up the numbers; they were doing a number on Delhi. And that's not where the rot stemmed. None of the next batsmen looked up for a fight, looked ready to weather the storm, bide their time and graft. While most of the Delhi batsmen were dismissed because of their own indiscretions, some found themselves on the end of some very doubtful umpiring decisions. The men in the middle, in fact, have had a very ordinary game. Both Delhi and Himachal have been on the receiving end of some howlers and both team managements have made their displeasure known. Having taken three points off champions Mumbai in their last encounter, the game against Himachal was the best opportunity to take full points away from home. However, now the more realistic target would probably be not to concede those points. At 38/0 after following on, Delhi were well and truly staring down the barrel at the end of a rather forgettable Sunday. Nothing went Delhi's way throughout the day. First, the Himachal tail more than just wagged to add 115 runs. They finished at 343, and frustrate Delhi almost till tea, and then the same players, now with ball in hand, tormented them to bundle the visitors out in just 23.3 overs. Although the Delhi batsmen did manage to find new ways of getting out, the Himachal bowlers played their part in the collapse. Himachal skipper Sandeep Singh had to use only three bowlers, two of whom - Vikramjeet Malik (6/25) and Ashok Thakur (4/45) - took all the wickets. Both made the batsmen play as much as possible, and the Delhi batsmen did the rest. If they are to make it to the semis, Delhi have to get over Sunday as soon as possible. They ended Sunday with the right spirit - playing a game of foot volleyball, as if to get away from it all and push Sunday into the past, the distant past. Monday will be a new day, and hopefully, a new beginning for Delhi in the game. Earlier, Paras Dogra and Maninder Bisla carried on their consolidation job for Himachal; they added 99 runs for the sixth wicket. After Bisla got out for an even fifty, Dogra found company in Sarandeep Singh and the two added another 85 for the seventh wicket. Dogra was the ninth wicket to fall, for 81. Saurashtra 28 for 3 (Amarnath 0-1, Ramkumar 0-1) trail Tamil Nadu 531 for 2 dec (Vijay 230*, Vasudevadas 103*, Badrinath 61) by 503 runs Scorecard MAKING IT COUNT: Shri Vasudeva Das made the most of an early chance to score his first century at this level. Tamil Nadu is in a commanding position against Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy Super league match. On day two of the fourth round match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday, Tamil Nadu declared at a mammoth 531 for two and then dismissed the top three Saurashtra batsmen with only 28 on the board before bad light and a light drizzle ended the day’s play. The visitor is still 354 behind to avoid follow-on. Tamil Nadu couldn’t have asked for a better day as everything went according to script. Vijay’s first double century (230 not out, 443b, 21x4, 7x6) and his highest score at this level, was a masterly knock. He seemed comfortable against all the bowlers. Vijay reached 150 with a boundary between gully and point off Sandip Maniar. Badrinath’s knock In between, Badrinath strutted his stuff. The Tamil Nadu captain showed eagerness to score quick runs. He clipped left-arm spinner Rakesh Dhruv over mid-off for a boundary and then hoisted the same bowler for a six; a fine straight drive off medium-pacer Sandip Jobenputra was one for the connoisseurs. Badrinath (61, 82b, 6x4, 1x6) was unfortunate not to be a part of the run-fest as he was caught by Jobenputra at long-off trying to hit Dhruv out of the park. But Vijay went on. Though he was hardly troubled during his knock, the 23-year-old seemed to struggle to get to 200. He spent 18 balls on 199 before finally picking up a two off Dhruv. K. Shri Vasudeva Das (103 not out, 114b, 13x4, 1x6) was an apt foil for Vijay. Slow to get off the block, the left-hander got into his groove once he began to find his bearings. On 36, however, he edged a Jobenputra out-swinger but wicket-keeper Sagar Jogiyani fluffed it. Barring the blemish, the 22-year-old played numerous pleasing strokes to get to his maiden century at this level. M Vijay continued to torment the Saurashtra bowlers to finish unbeaten on 230 and K Vasudevadas scored a whirlwind century as Tamil Nadu's declared at 531 for 2. The Tamil Nadu bowlers responded as Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh, P Amarnath and R Ramkumar took a wicket each to leave Saurashtra struggling at 28 for 3. Runs were scored only off Yo Mahesh, as Amarnath bowled four overs and Ramkumar two without a run being taken. Resuming on 129, Vijay started from where he had left off on Saturday and added 101 runs. He was helped by quick scoring from the other end - an 82-ball 61 by S Badrinath and then a 114-ball 103 by K Vasudevadas. Apart from Sagar Jogiyani and Kanaiya Vaghela, Saurashtra brought on every player to bowl, but only Sandip Maniar and Rakesh Dhurv had success. Orissa 248 for 3 (Behera 102*, Parida 44) lead Hyderabad 240 (Mohanty 5-63, Sehgal 4-61) by 8 runs Scorecard Niranjan Behera score his first first-class century to take Orissa to an important first-innings lead against Hyderabad. Behera ended the day unbeaten on 102 to take Orissa eight runs ahead with seven wickets in hand. The 23-year-old Niranjan Behera could not have timed his maiden Ranji hundred (102 batting, 230 balls, 14x4) better as Orissa grabbed the first innings lead against Hyderabad on the second day of the four-day Ranji Trophy super league cricket match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal) here on Sunday. The visitor finished the day at 248 for three in reply to Hyderabad’s first innings score of 240. Orissa took the lead when P. Jayachandra walked down the track and lofted part-time spinner D.B. Ravi Teja over the long-off for a huge six. That Hyderabad employed eight bowlers was a reflection of the hopeless performance on a pitch which played true. Nothing unusual Except for the ball from left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha which kicked up from a good-length spot and spun away from the right-handed Parida to be caught low at first slip by Amol Shinde, there was nothing unusual either in the pitch or in the bowling attack. Interestingly, it was off-spinner Shinde who looked the best, hurrying the batsmen with a better line and length. But the day belonged to Behera. Earlier, Hyderabad, resuming at 201 for eight, folded up for 240, scoring 39 runs in 15 overs as Debasis Mohanty completed a five-wicket haul. Earlier Hyderabad added 39 to their overnight 201 for 8 as Debasis Mohanty and Sourabha Sehgal added a wicket each to their overnight tally of four and three wickets respectively. Bengal 231 for 1 (Majumdar 99, Das 93*) trail Punjab 241 (Dinda 4-42, Bose 3-56) by 10 runs Scorecard IT WAS going to be a battle of attrition and Bengal won all the rounds on Day Two to occupy the driver's seat in this Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match against Punjab on Sunday. Their primary task was to pluck out the last three wickets which came in 14 overs with the addition of 31 runs to Punjab's overnight total of 210 for seven. The batsmen then had to apply themselves on a wicket offering significant seam movement and openers Anustup Majumdar and Arindam Das surpassed all expectations by putting together 194 runs. Bengal ended the day at 231 for one, assured of first-innings lead at least. Both batsmen had scored hundreds in the previous game and this time, Majumdar lost the opportunity to notch up another, poking at Gagandeep Singh's away-swinger while on 99. Das was there on 93 at stumps with debutant Soham Ghosh on 12. No doubt the batsmen did well, but they were helped enormously by some unimaginably bad bowling, particularly by India discard VRV Singh. From a pitch where the Bengal medium-pacers extracted remarkable movement and bounce even with the old ball, Punjab's pace battery failed miserably. Gagandeep Singh and VRV hardly beat the outside edge in their opening spells, though the former at least was trying to make the batsmen play. VRV lost the plot early and looked completely out of sorts in the 14 overs he bowled, straying well outside off and leg, thereby making life miserable for the wicketkeeper, who had to throw himself on either side every now and then. He bowled 10 no-balls and there were many which would have been called wide in the limited-over format. Das and Majumdar had no problem settling down, leaving the ball most of the time, while the latter was quick to pounce on the loose ones, particularly on the off side. With the ball coming on to the bat, his driving was flawless and reached the fence facing minimum trouble with most of the fielders awaiting edges behind the stumps. With two days to go and the hard work done, Bengal should think that they can build on this platform on Day Three to press for an outright win on the final day. It will be a big comeback by a team, which surrendered meekly against Baroda in the previous match and a forgettable outing for Punjab, who had done reasonably well before this one. Brothers of destruction: Yusuf Pathan took five wickets and Irfan three to bowl UP out for 209 © Getty Images Baroda 334 (Kumar 4-83) and 17 for 0 (Williams 5*, Parab 4*) lead Uttar Pradesh 209 (Raina 55, Yusuf Pathan 5-31, Irfan Pathan 3-63) by 142 runs Scorecard BARODA'S FASCINATING run this season in domestic circuit mainly evolves around the fine deeds of Yusuf Pathan both with bat and ball. And from the last two matches, team's performance became more effective with the inclusion of Team India regular Irfan Pathan in the playing 11. The two brothers know their positions in the team and doing exactly what they are meant for. The duo were outstanding even on Sunday against host Uttar Pradesh, and put Baroda in the drivers' seat with an overall 142 runs first innings lead on the second day of their four-day Elite Group 'B' Ranji Trophy match here. After giving crucial breakthroughs at the start of UP innings, offie Yusuf Pathan didn't let UP tail enders survive long and snapped three quick wickets to skittle out the rival for 209 in their first essay. He completed his five-wicket haul of the season, conceding just 31 runs. Baroda were 17 in the four overs in their second innings when the two umpired called off the day's proceedings nine over before the schedule because of the bad light. The two brothers unleashed havoc on UP batsmen on Day two. The efforts of the duo was 'well supported' some reckless performance by the host batsmen. Yusuf left the home side struggling at 83/3 at lunch. And after the break, it was Irfan shattering UP's batting line-up with a three-wicket haul. He had skipper Mohd Kaif (0), Tahir Abbbas (17) and Ravikant Shukla (4). He was also instrumental in getting out inform Suresh Raina, taking a diving catch at mid-off off Rajesh Pawar. Once Raina departed, offie Yusuf sent the remaining three batsmen back to pavilion in quick succession to complete his five-wicket rout. Undoubtedly, Raina appeared in a good nick this afternoon. Continuing his fascination form in the season, the lanky left-hand batsman didn't lose his concentration and along with keeper-batsman Mohd Aamir Khan (50) steadied the innings, adding 86 runs for the seventh-wicket. Though he survived an easy chance when his quick slash zoomed past the gully fielder for a boundary off Irfan. Thereafter, he went on exploiting the conditions here with 10 blazing fours in his 55 runs knock, which came off 90 balls. He was ruthless to left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar and struck three consecutive boundaries in his ninth over of the day. Some of his strokes, especially off Irfan Pathan at the backfoot, were a treat to watch for a good Sunday crowd, at the Dr Akhilesh Das Stadium. Certainly, the day didn't favour host as Baroda's overnight pair of R Pawar and Sunit Singh first went on adding 34 runs to help the side post a challenging first innings total (334) for the home side. Despite dropping as many as five catches even before the lunch, Baroda bowlers, especially offie Yusuf Pathan proved too good for the home batsmen. Praveen Kumar (25) miscued a flick shot into the safe hands of A Bilakhia at square leg off Sunit Singh. The scoreboard read 41 in 7.1 overs. Fellow opener Rohit Prakash (27) once again failed with the willow. A regular face in the team for the last four seasons, the right-hand batsman never looked comfortable against a disciplined bowling attack and even after surviving as many as three chances in the beginning, unnecessarily jumped out of the crease and gave a regulation catch to S Parab in slips off YK Pathan. It wasn't required at this moment from Rohit, who is yet to score a half-century this season while playing his third match. Being an opener he should have played with more grit and determination knowing the importance of the match. Rohit's departure opened the floodgates for the Baorda bowlers especially for Yusuf, who went on removing left-hander Tanmay Srivastava (19) just before the lunch break. While trying to clear the ropes Tanmay miscued his shot and A Chauhan held a beautiful catch in front of the sightscreen. Skipper Mohd Kaif was the next man to go, missing the line of Irfan's swinging one in front of wicket in the very third over after the lunch. And a few balls later Tahir Abbas (17) too trapped lbw by Pathan. Baroda would certainly be looking for an overall lead of 350 runs to put UP bat again at the spinner-friendly strip on the fourth day, when the third day's game begin here on Monday. Baroda played out the four overs before stumps without much incident. Mumbai 113 for 2 (Rahane 65*, Muzumdar 23*) trail Maharashtra 451 (Takawale 126, Jadhav 81, Nayyar 5-100) by 338 runs Scorecard Yogesh Takawale scored his first first-class century and with Kedar Jadhav took Maharashtra past 450 before Mumbai scored 113 for 2, thanks to an unbeaten half-century by Ajinkya Rahane. Mumbai's agony finally ended an hour and six minutes after lunch on Sunday. That was when they managed to take the last Maharashtra wicket, 10 hours and 16 minutes after being asked to bat first on a beautiful batting strip. Maharashtra, resuming at 308 for five, were all out for 451. At stumps on the second day of the fourth round of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match at the Wankhede stadium, Mumbai replied with 113 for two, requiring another 339 for the first innings honours. Ajinkya Rahane did his confidence some good by remaining on 65, his first big knock in Ranji Trophy. With skipper Amol Muzumdar on 23 giving Rahane company. The Maharashtra overnight pair of Yogesh Takawale for (126, 460m, 279b, 13x4, 1x6) and Kedar Jadhav (81, 228m, 185b, 10x4) frustrated Mumbai the whole of morning. Mumbai operated for a major part with the medium-pacers - they were crippled by the absence of their best seamer so far this season, Avishkar Salvi due to back spasm. Off-spinner Ramesh Powar went wicketless for the third successive innings. It was hardworking Abhishek Nayar's efforts that enabled Mumbai to bat at least before tea. Nayar, who assumes the last seamer's role, took four of the last five wickets to finish with a maiden five-wicket haul - five for 100. Agarkar took the other Maharashtra wicket on the day, but that came only after Nayar provided the breakthrough, forcing Jadhav to snick to first slip, where Sahil Kukreja grabbed the offering above his head. Before this, Takawale (overnight 83) and Jadhav (overnight 21) settled down nicely, swelling their sixth wicket stand from 36 overnight to 146. Agarkar, being the senior bowler, was below par. He wasted his deliveries, either bowling outside off or digging short. The short-built Jadhav ducked under the bouncers while Takawale used his height to fend them off his ribs. Takawale, playing his 11th match, reached his maiden first class century by pulling Powar to the square leg fence. The 23-year-old right-hander showed no emotion, only a hug from Jadhav and a simple raise of the bat to his dressing room, with his helmet on, marking his landmark. The duo occupied the crease and runs came along and there was nothing much that Mumbai bowlers could do. With Powar not finding any success, he tried different things. He bowled to a dominant on-side field, with only two manning the off-side. But the trick went fruitless. Mumbai probably knew at the back of their minds that if they managed to get one wicket, the rest would follow. And that's what happened. After Jadhav fell to Nayar six overs after lunch, Takawale was trapped leg before wicket by Agarkar. Nayar took the last three, including two in two, but not before the last pair of Sairaj Bahutule and Waheed Sayyed delayed the end by half an hour. Rahane gave Mumbai a flashy start. The hosts reached 50 in only the 12 th over. Sahil Kukreja was dropped on 17 (Mumbai 59/0, 14 th over) by Venugopala Rao at second slip while Rahane was grassed by Takawale at gully on 42 (64/0, 16 th ), medium-pacer Sayyed being unlucky on both occasions. However, Kukreja did not last long, Sayyed inducing him to edge into wicket-keeper Vishant More's gloves. More snapped up Prashant Naik in a similar fashion, off left-arm medium pacer Samad Fallah for zero. Rajasthan 393 (Bist 99, Pankaj Singh 40, Joshi 6-83) lead Karnataka 118 for 3 (Uthappa 55) by 275 runs Scorecard Robin Bist was distraught on missing out on his maiden first-class century This wasn't supposed to be a tight match but for the second consecutive day, underdogs Rajasthan gave Karnataka a run for their money at the Gangothri Glades in Mysore, doing their best to overcome an early-season slump. Rookie Robin Bist was unlucky to fall one short of a maiden first-class hundred but set the tone for a stellar rearguard action as the tail added 105 to get Rajasthan to a season-best 393. Robin Uthappa's first fifty of the season gave Karnataka a solid start, but at 118 for 3 and with an out-of-form line-up ahead, the favourites aren't looking so hot. Karnataka started off on the right note, as NC Aiyappa got Rohit Jhalani (62) to fend at one with an open face and edge low to B Akhil at second slip. Then, for the second time in the match, Sunil Joshi struck twice to swing the momentum back Karnataka's way. But, as was the case in the first innings, it was only momentarily. At 288 for 7 Karnataka failed to hold Rajasthan down, and this came down to a fine effort from Bist. Overnight on 62, Bist shepherded his lower-order teammate, Pankaj Singh, in a defiant 46-run stand for the eighth wicket. First he laced two consecutive fours through the covers, off Vinay Kumar, before stealing a quick single off a misfield at midwicket. Pankaj lofted the last ball of the over for four as drinks were called for, and after a few words of advice from Bist, wisely decided to settle down. Misfields and overthrows aided Bist's cause as he continued to find singles at the end of overs. A compact little batsman, with good hand-eye coordination, Bist played the quicks well off both front foot and back. Despite an initial crouch, he managed to ride the short-pitched stuff and cut the wide deliveries, again making sure to get over the ball when rolling his wrists. Elegant off the pads, he clipped runs though the yawning leg-side gaps. Unfazed by the mini-collapse, he motored along nicely into the nineties. A few tense moments preceded his dismissal. On 97, he hooked Vinay Kumar perilously close to a stumbling fine leg, and then nearly played on to his off stump. Rather than refraining from playing horizontally to the short ball, Bist pulled another half-tracker and was snapped up by square leg. Enraged, he slammed his bat into the ground and stood alone for what seemed like an eternity before walking off in tears. He deserved a hundred for the way he batted. Robin Uthappa's fifty gave Karnataka a solid start, but at 118 for 3 and with an out-of-form line-up ahead, the favourites aren't looking so hot Frustratingly for Karnataka, they failed to settle the affair then and there. For over an hour with, drive after miss, edge after defiance, Pankaj and his captain, Mohammad Aslam, defied the favourites. With each leg before appeal turned down, and each shout of "Bahut Bhadiya, Pankaj" from the Rajasthan camp, the shoulders drooped. Pankaj grew in confidence and played some firm flicks and cuts. Minutes after the lunch break Pankaj (40 from 80 balls) became Joshi's fifth victim bowled playing across the line, and the veteran left-arm spinner soon mopped up Aslam for 32. Joshi finished with 6 for 83, his 22nd Ranji Trophy five-or-more haul. A few moments later Robin Uthappa and KB Pawan, Karnataka's openers, were out in the middle. There wasn't much bounce left in the surface but Pankaj beat both several times. Uthappa was the aggressive one and punched firm strokes either side of the pitch. The largest crowd of the match wasn't treated to any stunning fireworks, but Uthappa was at ease against Rajasthan. Offered room from Mohammad Aslam, he rocked back and cut through point to reach fifty off 90 balls but, playing back two deliveries later, was adjudged leg before. Aslam failed to latch onto a tough catch to his left, off Sudhindra Shinde, but Jhalani made no mistake behind the stumps to hold onto an edge off Pawan's bat. Pawan had been in no hurry to score and, trying to withdraw his bat, nicked Sumit Mathur for 24 from 79 balls. Shinde took three fours off Pankaj's last over, to cries of "We want sixer, we want sixer!" but fell playing an ungainly and utterly needless pull against offspinner Shamsher Singh, minutes before stumps, and was well taken by Aslam at midwicket. Karnataka need their batsmen to buckle down with a long day looming. PS: Expanded!

[The Outsider]

What a pathetic performance by Delhi. How can a crap team like HP bowl them out for 70 odd after scoring 350+

[apocalypse]

Delhi rested one of their main bowler, Sangwan, for this match

[Chandan]

What a pathetic performance by Delhi. How can a crap team like HP bowl them out for 70 odd after scoring 350+

I too am shocked! Cricinfo report is too small to know the reasons. We'll know more about it tomorrow when HT and Hindu will put up detailed reports!!

[The Outsider]

I too am shocked! Cricinfo report is too small to know the reasons. We'll know more about it tomorrow when HT and Hindu will put up detailed reports!!

With batsmen like Sehwag, Gambhir, Chopra, Kohli to be bowled out in 23 overs against the HP bowling attack, I would really like to know some reasons!!!

[Holysmoke]

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!!

Just read this now, and I'm very impressed! This is the way to go!!!

[Mr. Wicket]

Delhi rested one of their main bowler' date=' Sangwan, for this match[/quote'] Stupid stupid stupid stupid!! He took 8 wickets against Mumbai including some big guns, is being talked about as a very hot prospect for the future at age 17 - and they rest him for Bhandari? OK, I'm only really pissed because I just included in him in my SS... :D

[The Outsider]

Sehwag stuffs it up again. Gone for 32. He can forget Australia now.

[Cricketics]

o noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sehwag out againnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn sucksssssssssssssssss damn itttttttt

[Chandan]

ROUND IV, DAY THREE December 3, 2007 Delhi 75 and 353 for 3 (Chopra 146*, Gambhir 103, Thakur 3-72) lead Himachal Pradesh 343 by 67 runs Scorecard Gautam Gambhir scored his second century in two matches and in partnership with Aakash Chopra staved off the innings defeat for Delhi © Cricinfo Ltd EVERY TEAM has bad days in sport, a day when everything goes wrong, a day when luck not only eludes it, but also disowns it. But it takes a champion team to bounce back hard after such a day, to show that the fall was an aberration, to make a statement of intent. Though it is too early in the season to talk about Delhi as potential Ranji champions, they showed on Monday that they have what it takes to fight for it. Sunday was a nadir in Delhi cricket, no one would have expected them to be bundled out for 75 against Himachal, least of all themselves. Well, on Monday, Aakash Chopra and Gautam Gambhir ensured that Sunday would be treated as an aberration to the rule.Bowled out for 75 in the first innings and following on, Delhi needed 268 to avoid an innings defeat, which Chopra and Gambhir ensured they easily did. The two pillars of Delhi put on an imperious 230 runs for the second wicket to show Delhi light at the end of what on Sunday evening was looking like a long, dark tunnel. Both scored patient centuries as Delhi finished the day on 335/3. Though the visitors are just 67 runs ahead, and it is still Himachal's game to lose, Chopra and Gambhir's resilience, determination and class have at least given Delhi a chance. When Virender Sehwag went in the third over of the day for 32, caught behind off Ashok Thakur, it had looked like Delhi would face a manic Monday. However Chopra and Gambhir soon turned it into a magic Monday. It was no-frills batting at its best. They seemed determined to right the wrongs of Sunday, and went about it the right way - by sticking to the basics. Both treated every ball on its merit, not hesitating in dispatching the bad balls. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about the knocks were the restraint and patience displayed by both. Chopra and Gambhir knew they had a job at hand, and the best way to do that job was to put their heads down and keep chipping away at the opposition lead. Neither went for the big shots they are capable of, but instead played along the ground as much as possible. It was a treat to watch the two stalwarts of Delhi batting like men on a mission, men determined to prove a point to the opposition, and more importantly, to themselves. They were flawless, chanceless innings, innings scored by men in form. The flow of runs quickened after lunch, with Chopra outscoring Gambhir to reach his second century in three games this season. He reached the magic mark with a ferocious pull off Vishal Bhatia, while Gambhir reached his second successive ton with a trademark square cut off Ashok Thakur. However, on the next ball, umpire P. BhanuPrakash - almost as if bored with his non-involvement in the game so far - gatecrashed the party with an atrocious decision. Gambhir, at 103, was adjudged to have nicked a ball that was miles away from his bat. BhanuPrakash raised his finger after the briefest of appeals, much to the horror of the batsman and the surprise of the bowler. Chopra, however, finished the day on an unbeaten 146, with Mithun Manhas giving him company on 10. Chopra and Gambhir's innings have set the game up beautifully for the last day. They would look for some quick runs in the morning, set Himachal a target of around 250, and then hope their bowlers can run through the hosts' line-up. A long shot, but after all, to dream is to dare. After Virender Sehwag got out after adding one run to his overnight 31, Chopra and Gambhir made Himachal wait for 66.5 overs for the next wicket. They added 230 for the second wicket. Chopra ended the day unbeaten at 146, while Gambhir scored 103. This is Chopra's second century this season to go with the 87 he scored against Mumbai; all three have come in the second innings. Mumbai 390 for 7 (Powar 102*, Agarkar 95, Khadiwale 3-37) trail Maharashtra 451 by 61 runs Scorecard Ramesh Powar and Ajit Agarkar, the bowlers dropped from the Indian side, came to Mumbai's rescue with the bat with a 185-run seventh-wicket partnership after Mumbai were reduced to 197 for 6 in reply to Maharashtra's 451. They made amends with the bat after doing little with the ball. The seventh-wicket pair gave a stubborn fightback that Mumbai is known for on the third day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A encounter at the Wankhede on Monday. Replying to Maharashtra's 451, the duo gave Mumbai a hope of overhauling it, finishing the day at 390 for seven. They joined hands after Mumbai's first six were back in the hut 45 minutes before lunch for 197, still needing 105 to avoid follow-on, and 255 to take the first innings points. Batting out the entire second session and almost the full of the third after Mumbai lost four in the first, Agarkar (95, 267m, 203b, 12x4, 2x6) and Powar (102 batting, 259m, 203b, 12x4, 3x6) placed the hosts at a comfortable position. The hosts still need 62 for the three points, as an outright result for either team looks remote. Agarkar played responsibly and goaded Powar into batting with a purpose. Powar lived dangerously initially. But after settling down, he stretched forward and defended solidly; stepped out and lofted the loose deliveries over the rope. He took a particular liking to the slow bowlers, leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and left-armer Salil Agharkar. Agarkar, the senior batsman, raised his second successive half-century, and showed the top order the way to bat under such circumstances. Resuming at 113 for two, Mumbai lost their main batsmen for bad shots. They did not bat like defending champions, especially on a pitch that was flat and invited the batsmen to make the most of it. Mumbai required their batsmen to keep their heads down, play session by session. Maharashtra's 451 was not impossible to surpass, but with every wicket that Mumbai lost, the target seemed to get farther. Maharashtra's bowlers were not fiery. But credit must be given for bowling a disciplined line and length, especially medium-pacer Harshad Khadiwale, who picked up three of the four to fall in the morning in a spell of 7-2-21-3. Ajinkya Rahane added seven to his overnight 65 before driving left-arm medium-pacer Samad Fallah straight to mid-off Salil Agharkar. Mumbai hoped that Amol Muzumdar would score the much-awaited big score in such a situation. Muzumdar, for all his endless practice perfecting the art of driving during breaks, before and after play, seemed to have got into that 'big-scoring' mind. Though he timed his drives well and gained confidence in the process, his innings was scratchy overall. He was lucky when an inside edge off Khadiwale missed the stumps and raced to the fence, taking him to his maiden fifty in Ranji Trophy this season. The next ball, Muzumdar was stuck to his crease and snicked Khadiwale behind. Rohit Sharma, batting at number five, gave indications that he would bail Mumbai out. But after a couple of authentic shots on the off-side, he was trapped leg before wicket by Khadiwale. Abhishek Nayar went for an attacking stroke from within his crease and edged a rising delivery to the keeper. Agarkar and Powar carried on and on, first avoiding the follow-on, then posting a record Mumbai partnership for the seventh wicket against Maharashtra - 185 in over four hours, bettering 146 between Dattu Phadkar and GS Ramchand at the Brabourne stadium in 1950-51. Only 13 deliveries were left in the day, and the hosts were within 70 of their rivals, when Agarkar, five short of his maiden Ranji hundred, pulled Agharkar straight to deep mid-wicket Fallah's hands. Powar, having got his third Ranji ton, now holds the responsibility of seeing Mumbai through on the final day on Tuesday. The match looks headed for a first-innings finish and the innings by Powar and Agarkar brought Mumbai within 61 of Maharashtra's total, with three wickets in hand. Uttar Pradesh 209 and 58 for 0 require another 216 to beat Baroda 331 and 148 (Gupta 5-35, Chawla 4-49) Scorecard Praveen Gupta and Piyush Chawla spun Baroda out for 148 in the second innings to bring Uttar Pradesh back into the contention at Lucknow. After the UP openers, RP Srivastava and Tanmay Srivastava, saw out 28 overs without any loss of wickets, they ended the day needing 219 more on the final day. IT WAS anybody's game at the end of the penultimate day of the four-day Elite Group 'B' Ranji Trophy match between Uttar Pradesh and Baroda here on Monday. While chasing 274 to win, Uttar Pradesh were sitting pretty at 58/0 in their second innings at the close. Tanmay Srivastava (30) and Rohit Prakash Srivastava (28) were at the crease, when the stumps were drawn. Skipper Mohd Kaif held a brief, but important meeting with team members at the pitch soon after the finish of Baroda's second innings for 148, and the message was very clear 'go for a kill'. Both the openers did pay a head to it and negotiated the remaining 28 overs of the day with ease. Clearing his intention, right-hand batsman Rohit Prakash slammed a blazing boundary on the very first ball of Irfan Pathan, and thereafter Tanmay struck three fours off Pathan to unsettle him. Pathan did change his end for a few overs, but failed to break the partnership. It would be very interesting to see that how Mohd Kaif's men handle Pathan brothers on Tuesday when the final day proceedings will begin as UP still need 216 more runs to win. Earlier, it was a great showing by UP's spinning due of Praveen Gupta and Piyush Chawla in Baroda's second innings. Resuming at the overnight score of 17/0, visitors never looked in command and found things difficult to handle. Playing his maiden match of the season, left-arm spinner Gupta soon after removing opener and skipper Connor Williams (24) just before the day's first drinks, never looked back and went on castling wickets on regular intervals. His tempting deliveries coupled with faster ones kept the Baroda batsmen guessing, at the Dr Akhilesh Das Stadium. Gupta conceded just 35 runs in his 20.3 overs spell to take five wickets, his maiden five-wicket haul in Ranji Trophy. He was well supported by ace leggie Piyush Chawla, who also captured 4/49 to leave Baroda reeling at 89/4 at lunch. Opener SS Parab was his first victim. He missed the line and keeper Mohd Aamir Khan did the rest. Chawla produced a magical over after the break and had both Pathan brothers in the same over. First, he trapped Irfan Pathan (7) leg before wicket, before inviting danger-man Yusuf Pathan (4) for a straight catch to Rohit Prakash at gully after being hit for a boundary on the previous delivery. Chawla's other victims were SS Parab (32) and P Shah (7). It was a much-improved performance by UP fielders on Monday. Tanmay Srivastava took a stunning catch off AA Bilakhia (39) off Mohd Kaif at the forward short-leg, while Tahir Abbas took a diving catch off Praveen Gupta at mid-off to remove RV Pawar (0). UP could have contained Baroda's second innings quite earlier if they had used their spinners in a more efficient manner. Instead of pressing first innings' hero Suresh Raina into action, Kaif went on applying himself with his gentle off-spin. Though he had 1/20 in his eight-over spell, Raina could have been more effective in skittling out Baroda too early. Baroda started the day 142 ahead with all their wickets in hand and didn't lose a wicket for 22 more overs. But once they lost Satyajit Parab with the team score at 59, the left-arm-right-arm combination of Gupta and Chawla turned the screws on them. They last all their wickets in the space of 89 runs. Gupta ended up with his second five-for and career-best figures of 5 for 35. Chawla took four wickets for 49, while Mohammad Kaif chipped in with one. Manoj Tiwary scored his second century of the season to put Bengal in charge © Cricinfo Ltd Punjab 241 and 64 for 1 trail Bengal 513 for 6 dec. (Tiwary 138, Das 103, Shukla 74*) by 208 runs Scorecard AFTER HAVING dominated the first two days of this Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match, Bengal got most things right again, leaving Punjab with the task of batting for a better part of the final day. Having conceded a first-innings lead of 272, the visitors were 64 for one. Given that the pitch had eased out a bit after assisting seam movement earlier and that Punjab bat deep, the contest about to unfold promises to be even. Resuming at 231 for one, the home team saw Arindam Das score the seven runs he needed for a second successive century quickly. But they also lost the opener and two more wickets by the 15 th over of the day which boosted Punjab's hopes of restricting Bengal from taking a big first-innings lead. Manoj Tiwary and captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla however stroked that possibility away with a fifth-wicket stand of 123 off 126 balls. Tiwary notched up his third first-class century of the season in five matches and characteristically, dominated the bowling after overcoming some anxious moments early on. And having scored just one run in three previous innings this season, Shukla blasted his way to a 59-ball 74 with 11 fours and a six. It meant that Bengal raced away to the kind of lead they wanted to take in fewer overs than expected. Punjab's bowling effort was just a shade better after the dismal performance on Day 2 although V.R.V. Singh continued to struggle for direction despite taking a wicket soon after the start. The other seamers too failed to do much after some initial success and Bengal were galloping away to a big total through the Tiwary-Shukla partnership. The stand was broken after lunch, but the flow of runs didn't subside. When Punjab started their second innings, Karan Goel was dropped by Ashoke Dinda at extra-cover off Sourav Sarkar in the sixth over, before the fast bowler atoned for it by trapping the left-hander in front of the stumps some time later. Ravneet Ricky and Ravi Inder prevented further damage and kept alive their team's hopes of bagging at least a point by forcing a draw. Arindam Das completed a patient century, Manoj Tiwary scored an aggressive one, and Laxmi Ratan Shukla scored a quickfire 74 to build a massive first-innings lead and push for an outright win against Punjab. At stumps on day three, Punjab had scored 64 for 1, still needing 208 runs to avoid an innings defeat. Earlier in the day, Das added only 10 his overnight 93, but Tiwary and Shukla continued from where the openers had left. Tiwary scored his second century in three matches, hitting 17 boundaries in his 183-ball 138. Shukla, the Bengal captain, shrugged off poor batting form (one run in three innings so far) as he hit 11 fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 74 that came off 59 deliveries. Rajasthan 393 and 0 for 0 lead Karnataka 329 (Goud 110, Shamsher Singh 4-79, Aslam 4-91) by 64 runs Scorecard Yere Goud was hardly the name you would have expected to hear chanted at the Gangothri Glades in Mysore, given that many in the partisan crowd had come to see a reprise of Robin Uthappa's brisk century last season. Yet after his unbeaten 110 and a last-wicket stand with the determined NC Aiyappa to avoid the follow-on and post a healthy, unlikely, 329, Goud was the one they were cheering for. Goud walked in at 155 for 5 and soon saw three wickets fall for 36 runs; a fourth fell at 208, still 36 runs short of the target to avoid the follow-on. Yet while his younger team-mates came and went, Goud called on all his experience and gave Karnataka reason to smile after two and a half days of catch-up cricket against Rajasthan. Though Rajasthan did take crucial first-innings lead points and dominated the first half of the third day, they were seriously tested by Goud's perseverance. In a south Indian version of The Great Escape, Goud, 36, did his best to move the score along after a post-lunch collapse with a six, followed by some paddles and powerful sweeps. After gauging the pitch, the attack and his partner's abilities, Goud opened up with some exciting shots. There was one mis-hit that the fielder at mid-on, running backwards at a fair clip, failed to hold on to despite a valiant dive, but otherwise it was Karnataka's afternoon. Goud welcomed the new ball with a pull and helped wrest the momentum back his side's way. "It was a good innings mainly because we were in some trouble and batting wasn't easy," Goud told Cricinfo after the day's play. "I just wanted to stay there and bat for as long as possible." That he did. Like Rajasthan's Robin Bist had on day two, Goud marshalled his tail-end partner, Aiyappa, in fine manner. Singles were picked with ease and loose balls were duly punished. He was especially good against the spinners and used the slowness to pinch singles at the end of the overs. Run after run, Goud and Aiyappa ground Rajasthan into the dust. It was a most fascinating battle to watch. "I told Aiyappa just to stay put and the first plan was to avoid the follow-on," said Goud. "He did well and we were able to do that. Runs started coming afterwards." At 3.03pm on a cool afternoon, Goud dabbed another domestic veteran, left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam, wide of point to reach his century off 190 balls. A jog down the pitch, arms aloft in celebration, and a leap in the air celebrated the hundred followed before Goud quickly got back to his task. The innings wasn't one usually associated with the stonewalling Goud, but he maintained it was just good to score runs. "I'm glad I could help the team. Being a senior player the team required me to score runs, and I did that. It was satisfying." Not to be lost in all of this, Aiyappa went past his previous best of an unbeaten seven to buckle down for 24 from 70 balls. His defiance was commendable and helped retrieve Karnataka from what looked a hopeless situation. Goud and Aiyappa's 121-run stand broke Karnataka's previous last-wicket best of 120 between Raghuram Bhat and Abhiram, against Tamil Nadu in1981-82 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The end came when Aslam cleaned up Aiyappa in the 129th over and was rewarded his fourth wicket for a persevering 43.2 overs. "The wicket is fairly uneven and it was tough for batsmen and bowlers," said Aslam. "Looking at the surface before the match, you wouldn't think 100 was achievable. It's been up and down. Those who are willing to toil will get wickets." As expected spin came into play on the third day as Rajasthan took the first session's honours. Aslam struck early in the day to get rid of nightwatchman KP Appanna, edging to slip in the third over. Opening bowler Sumit Mathur was rewarded for a spirited spell when Thilak Naidu pushed away and edged one to second slip Vineet Saxena, who juggled it but held on. Offspinner Shamsher Singh was the pick of the bowlers in the morning, flighting it more than Aslam and getting turn and bounce. With Aslam and Shamsher bowling well, short leg and silly point were kept busy, as edges dropped perilously close. After Aslam took himself off, Afroz Khan kept one end tight with his tidy military-medium bowling. The first session ended as it began, as C Raghu popped a simple catch to Nikhil Doru at short leg minutes before lunch. "Come on, boys, just don't relax out there," said KP Bhaskar, Rajasthan's coach, as his team huddled on the boundary line after lunch. Sunil Joshi half-heartedly chipped his second delivery to mid-on to give Shamsher his second wicket just two balls into the session. Aslam then bowled B Akhil through the gate with an arm ball in the next over. Vinay Kumar followed after two sixes over long-on, when he was trapped leg before by Shamsher to make it 208 for 9. It would be their last success for 161 minutes as Karnataka, who struggled to forge partnerships all innings, found two contrasting yet stubborn customers to script a classic back-to-the-wall association. And they had Goud to thank for that. Captain Yere Goud's century, scored in company in No. 11 NC Aiyappa, was not enough to save Karnataka from falling behind Rajasthan in the first innings. Starting the day at 118 for 3 in reply to Rajasthan's 393, Karnataka were soon reduced to 208 for 9, Shamsher Singh and Mohammad Aslam causing the damage with the ball. But Goud and Aiyappa created hope for Karnataka in a hopeless situation, adding 121 runs for the last wicket. Goud farmed the strike as Aiyappa contributed only 24 to the partnership. Goud stayed unbeaten on 110 and Shamsher and Aslam took four wickets apiece. Hyderabad 240 and 143 for 5 (Pai 48*) lead Orissa 298 (Ojha 6-56, Ashwin Yadav 4-75) by 85 runs Scorecard Orissa remained in contention for a probable win thanks to an excellent display by its bowlers. The visitor restricted Hyderabad (which earlier conceded a lead of 58), to a modest 143 for five on the third day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group league match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium (Uppal) here on Monday. Putting behind the disappointing batting display in the morning when Orissa collapsed from its overnight score of 248 for three to 298 all out, the Orissa bowlers proved themselves equal to the task. Hyderabad managed to wipe off the deficit in the 21st over for the loss of S. Daniel Manohar’s wicket. Striking at regular intervals, Orissa had the host struggling. Opener D.B. Ravi Teja once again failed to resist the temptation, sweeping left-arm spinner Sourav Saighal straight to the deep square-leg fielder just when he was looking good for a big knock. Earlier, left-arm spinner P. Pragyan Ojha and medium-pacer Ashwin Yadav made amends for Sunday’s dismal display. Hyderabad took the last seven Orissa wickets for 50 runs, thus keeping the first-innings deficit down to 58, but lost five wickets themselves in scoring 143 runs before stumps. The fall of wickets gave Orissa hopes for an outright win, something they must have lost after their collapse earlier in the day. Pragyan Ojha took six wickets for Hyderabad, while Ashwin Yadav took four. Orissa will be disappointed as they had started the day eight runs in lead with seven wickets in hand. But with the ball they pulled the game back in the second innings, taking wickets consistently. Saurashtra 120 for 5 (Pujara 62, Amarnath 3-31) trail Tamil Nadu 531 for 2 dec. by 411 runs Scorecard It was a day when nature had its way. Overnight 28 for three, Saurashtra ended a rain-interrupted third day’s play at 120 for five in a fourth round match of the Ranji Trophy Super league cricket match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. The onus was on Cheteshwer Pujara to guide Saurashtra to safety. The 19-year-old didn’t disappoint one wee bit. Pujara (62, 66b, 9x4) put his head down and played to the demands of the situation. Talent and temperament, he has them in abundance. A cover-drive off Yomahesh was top-class. When medium-pacer P. Amarnath pitched one short, Pujara was quick to react and glide it for a boundary between third slip and gully. Thereafter a superb on-drive off Amarnath suggested he was in for a long haul. However, one moment of madness did him in. Dancing down the track to haul left-arm spinner Ramkumar, who was beginning to get a fair amount of turn, Pujara edged it to the safe hands of Badrinath at slip. Pujara and left-hander Pathik Mehta added 76 runs for the fourth wicket. Pathik (21, 86b, 1x4) did his best to fend off Ramkumar, left-arm spinner C. Suresh and offie S. Suresh Kumar, who made his debut. Pathik did not last long as he was caught by wicketkeeper K.H. Gopinath attempting a drive off Ramkumar. W.V. Raman, Tamil Nadu coach, is confident that his team will collect six points, weather permitting. “It (innings win) is difficult, I know, but not impossible. The pitch is wearing, and they are under pressure. We fancy our chances.” Because of bad light, only 28 overs' play was possible at the Chepauk, but P Amarnath struck twice during that period to give Tamil Nadu hopes of at least taking the first-innings lead, as an outright result looks difficult with a significant amount of play lost to bad light over the last two days. Amrnath crucially took the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara who scored 62 out of Saurashtra's 120. He has scored three centuries in the previous three matches. Amarnath ended the day with figures of 3 for 31. PS: Edited!

[Holysmoke]

Ramesh Powar and Ajit Agarkar, the bowlers dropped from the Indian side, came to Mumbai's rescue with the bat with a 185-run seventh-wicket partnership after Mumbai were reduced to 197 for 6 in reply to Maharashtra's 451. The match looks headed for a first-innings finish and the innings by Powar and Agarkar brought Mumbai within 61 of Maharashtra's total, with three wickets in hand. Agarkar missed his century by five runs, out to Salil Agharkar with 2.1 overs to go to stumps. But Powar reached his century just before stumps. Their partnership lasted 65 overs and they hit 21 boundaries and five sixes between them. :hysterical: Salil (Agharkar) :hysterical:

[Predator_05]

Ramesh Powar and Ajit Agarkar, the bowlers dropped from the Indian side, came to Mumbai's rescue with the bat with a 185-run seventh-wicket partnership after Mumbai were reduced to 197 for 6 in reply to Maharashtra's 451. The match looks headed for a first-innings finish and the innings by Powar and Agarkar brought Mumbai within 61 of Maharashtra's total, with three wickets in hand. Agarkar missed his century by five runs, out to Salil Agharkar with 2.1 overs to go to stumps. But Powar reached his century just before stumps. Their partnership lasted 65 overs and they hit 21 boundaries and five sixes between them.

Wow. You know India's FC cricket structure is pitiful when players like Agarkar and Powar are scoring big.

[Chandan]

What the hell is Delhi trying to do? It has already lost the first inning deal. Now it should concentrate on winning the match! Chopra is nearing his second double hundred this season!

[Cricketics]

they didn't have enough score chandan to declare.. btw, nice to see Aakash nearing his double ton again.. on 191 now