Ranji trophy: Punjab fall flat as Jadeja makes merry

Mohali, February 10

Medium-pacer Priyajitsing Jadeja starred with the ball with figures of 5 for 60, while Chintan Gaja accounted for three wickets as Gujarat took a vital first-innings lead against Punjab in their Ranji Trophy Group C match here today.

Resuming at the overnight score of 250/8, Gujarat finished at 339 in 94.3 overs but produced a superb bowling display to bundle out the hosts for 219 in 56.5 overs.

Punjab skipper Mandeep Singh (76 not out off 110 balls) waged a lone battle, while last man Baltej Singh made 42 off 43 balls. In Chandigarh, Tripura reached 187/4 in 62 overs in reply to the home team’s 356 all out.

Dhawan shows HP the way

Dharamsala: Veteran all-rounder Rishi Dhawan’s unbeaten 95 and a patient 85 by opener Ravi Thakur took Himachal Pradesh to 311/8 at stumps against Delhi on the second day of their Group D match.

Delhi scored 264 on the opening day and the hosts currently enjoy a lead of 47 runs, and with two wickets still intact they would like to put pressure on a brittle Delhi batting line-up which crossed 275 only once this season.

Saurashtra in control

Jaipur: Saurashtra’s middle-order batter Sheldon Jackson followed in senior teammate Cheteshwar Pujara’s footsteps, completing his century on Day 2 of their Group A tie against Rajasthan to guide the defending champions to a 300-plus total. In reply, the hosts were in dire straits, hobbling to 159/6 at stumps.

Brief scores: Gujarat: 339 all out (Priyank 77, Aditya 58; Siddarth 3/87, Arshdeep 3/101) vs Punjab: 219 all out in 56.5 overs (Mandeep 76*; Priyajitsing 5/60); Chandigarh: 356 all out in 116 overs (Manan 134, Ankit 76; Debnath 3/31) vs Tripura: 187/4 in 62 overs (Ganesh 67*, Debnath 50*; Dhanda 2/32); Delhi: 264 vs HP: 311/8 (Dhawan 95*, Ravi 85; Siddhant 4/101); Saurashtra: 228 in 116.5 overs (Pujara 110; Jackson 116; K Ajay 5/120, Aniket 4/33) vs Rajasthan: 159/6 in 61 overs.