Ranji Trophy: Listless Hyderabad skittled out for 79, Saurashtra take top honours on Day 1

Listless Hyderabad skittled out for 79; Visitors end day at 250/5 to take 171-run lead

Hyderabad: Hyderabad’s chinks in the armour were exposed once again when they were skittled out cheaply for 79 by Saurashtra on the opening day of the Group B Ranji Trophy match at Gymkhana on Tuesday.

The visitors, who rode on captain Jaydev Unadkat (3/28) and Dharmendra Jadeja’s (3/8) efforts, ended the first day on a high posting 250/5 to take a commanding 171-run lead.

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Adding salt to the wound, three visiting batters slammed half-centuries on a pitch where Hyderabad batters struggled to find runs.

Saurashtra openers Harvik Desai (81 off 68; 12×4) and Chirag Jani (68 off 91; 11×4, 1×6) added 140 runs for the opening wicket at quick pace before both fell victim to left-arm spinner Anikethreddy.

The spinner got one bounced that hit Cheteshwar Pujara’s (25) gloves to give a simple catch to Chandan Sahani at the first slip as the visitors lost three wickets for 193.

Though K Rohit Rayudu struck twice in consecutive overs dismissing AV Vasavada (9) and Samarth Vyas (0), Sheldon Jackson (59 batting off 61) scored a counter-attacking half-century with the help of five boundaries and four over it. He was in the company of Dharmandra Jadeja (3).

Earlier, there were no demons in the pitch but lack of application from the batters that did the hosts in. Playing his 50th Ranji Trophy match, captain Tanmay Agarwal missed a straighter delivery from Unadkat to be bowled in the third over, which opened the floodgates.

Unadkat then induced an edge off Alankrit Agarwal that was duly accepted by Vasabada with a diving catch at slips. Captain Unadkat dismissed debutant T Santosh Goud (4) as his third victim in the 11th over when Vasavada took a single-handed diving catch at the second slip.

Chandan Sahani and Bhavesh Seth failed to negate the moving ball while Rohit Rayudu’s 72-ball vigil for 23-run knock came to an end when Samarth took a catch that bounced off wicketkeeper Harvik Desai in the bowling off Yuvrajsinh Dodiya.

T Ravi Teja threw his wicket after advancing down the track to give a simple catch to Chirag Jani at the mid-on off Jadeja’s bowling.

M Shashank was then caught at slips off Yuvrajsinh as the hosts lost eight wickets for 79 at lunch. Their innings lasted just five balls after the first session as Jadeja removed Bhagath Varma on the first ball after lunch and debutant Abrar Mohiuddin on the fifth.