Ranji trophy: Spinners help Punjab take 70-run 1st innings lead over MP

Punjab’s spin trio of Mayank Markande, Sukhwinder Singh, and Naman Dhir claimed two wickets each, complementing left arm pacer Gurnoor Brar’s impressive 3/36 to give Punjab a crucial 70-run first-innings lead over Madhya Pradesh on day two of their Ranji Trophy Group C clash here on Saturday.

While India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh went wicketless, returning figures of 0/35 from 14 overs, it was Brar who provided Punjab with a strong start.

The young left-arm quick struck twice in two balls, removing Himanshu Mantri (10) and Subhranshu Senapati (0), leaving MP struggling at 30/2 in 10.5 overs.

Rajat Patidar (90) and skipper Shubham Sharma (61) then steadied the ship for Madhya Pradesh.

Patidar, regaining form after a lean Duleep Trophy campaign, struck three fours and eight sixes, while Sharma supported him well with nine boundaries.

However, young off-spinner Naman Dhir broke the partnership, dismissing both set batters and finishing with superb figures of 6-1-5-2.

Sharma was dismissed for 61 (101 balls), while Patidar fell for 90 (178b), narrowly missing out on a century.

Leg-spinner Markande (2/46 from 12.5 overs) wrapped up the tail, dismissing Avesh Khan and Kulwant Khejroliya, as Madhya Pradesh were bowled out for 207 in 73.5 overs in reply to Punjab’s 277.

Off-spinner Sukhwinder Singh also chipped in with 2/47.

Earlier, Punjab’s Salil Arora was dismissed without adding to his overnight total on the second ball of the day, as Punjab’s first innings lasted just 5.5 overs into day two, adding only 23 runs to their overnight total.

Deepak Chahar tears into Himachal

Rajasthan seamer Deepak Chahar was on a roll as he ripped apart the Himachal Pradesh batting order in the second innings on day two of the Ranji Trophy second round match here on Saturday.

The 32-year-old India player bagged five wickets for 30 runs, as Himachal were shot out for 98 in reply to Rajasthan’s first-innings total of 334. Rajasthan resumed the day at the overnight score of 304/7, with Mahipal Lomror and Arafat Khan at the crease.

Lomror was just 11 runs away from his seventh First-Class hundred at the start of the day but was unlucky to be dismissed on 99 by pacer Rishi Dhawan with Rajasthan at 323 for 9.

Eventually, Rajasthan were bowled out for 334, with Khaleel Ahmed (0) being the last man to fall to spinner Mayank Dagar, who finished with figures of 5/85.

Gaikwad leads strong Maharashtra response

Ruturaj Gaikwad hit an unbeaten 80 to lead a strong reply for Maharashtra but they were still trailing by 173 runs in their Group A Ranji Trophy match against Mumbai, here on Saturday. Maharashtra reached 142 for one in their second innings at the end of the second day. Sachin Dhas was batting on 59 (7x4s, 1x6s) was giving company to Gaikwad at the end of the day. The defending champions Mumbai had taken a massive lead of 315 runs as they posted 441 in the first innings after dismissing Mumbai for a mere 126.