Ranji Trophy: Hyderabad suffer humiliating loss

Go down to Saurashtra by an innings and 57 runs inside two days

Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s poor show continued as they suffered an embarrassing innings and 57-run loss inside two days against Saurashtra in the Group B Ranji Trophy match at the Gymkhana, on Wednesday.

The hosts, who dismissed Saurashtra for 327 runs in the morning session with the help of left-arm spinner Anikethreddy’s career-best figures of 7/95, failed to put up any fight in their second essay. Their batters came a cropper once again to be allout for 191 runs in 46.4 overs in the extended second session on Day Two. This is Hyderabad’s fourth loss on the trot. They now have just one point from five matches and face the threat of relegation.

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Earlier, Anikethreddy came good with his spinners as he added four more scalps to his overnight three to end the visitors’ innings in 68.3 overs before lunch. Overnight batter Sheldon Jackson was the first to go as he gave a simple catch to Tanmay Agarwal at mid-off to give debutant Abrar Mohiuddin his maiden wicket. Anikethreddy trapped Prerak Mankad in front of the wickets and then got rid of captain Jaydev Unadkat who played on. Dharmendra Jadeja was then caught at deep mid-wicket in search of quick runs off Anikethreddy.

With 248 runs behind to make Saurashtra bat again, Hyderabad lost wickets in the heap before lunch. Opener K Rohit Rayudu edged Unadkat to third slip Vasavada on the fourth ball of the first over while Alankrit Agarwal was adjudged lbw by Sakariya in the second over. Unadkat then removed Tanmay, who was dropped on nine, as lbw in the seventh over as Hyderabad lost three wickets for 18 in 6.4 overs.

Debutant Santosh Goud (58 off 125; 4×4, 1×6) and Chandan Sahani (49 off 40; 6×4, 3×6) added 60 runs for the fourth wicket but the latter was dismissed by Unadkat when the batter played-on a wide delivery. Santosh added 45 runs with Bhavesh Seth (30 off 30) and another 33 with Ravi Teja, only to delay the inevitable. Dharmandrasingh Jadeja fastened the Hyderabad collapse dismissing the tail to finish with 4/34 bowling figures. Unadkat returned with 3/62) to give his side seven points.