GUWAHATI, Dec 17 � Last year Assam was promoted to Super League of Ranji Trophy, but this year they have to face relegation.
In the crucial match against Saurashtra at Rajkot, Asam surrendered meekly to the home team and was placed at the bottom with eight points.
Assam atleast needed a draw in order to survive in the elite class but they were humiliated by Saurashtra with a huge margin of 172 runs. Requiring 249 runs in second innings for victory, Assam were shot out for 76. Interestingly, Assam�s last five batsmen could not add a single run to their total. Six of the batsmen went without score while only three could reach double figures.
Today Assam made a drastic change in the batting order. Abu Nechim Ahmed opened the innings with Dhiraj Jadhav, while Gokul Sharma came at number four. But the decision hardly made any difference.
Right arm spinner Kamlesh Makvana was the wrecker-in-chief claiming six wickets while Team India player Ravindra Jadeja took three.
Skipper Amol Mazumder, veteran batsmen Sridharan Sriram and Dhiraj Jadhav should be blamed for this debacle as none of them could lead the team�s batting.
This year Assam Cricket Association (ACA) had formed a cricket committee with some former cricketers. The panel was given responsibility by the ACA governing body to collect players from outside the State. Accordingly they had retained Amol Mazumdar and Dhiraj Jadhav annd added Sridharan Sriram. But all their stretegy went up in smoke as all the three veterans could not perform at the need of the hour.
SCORECARD
Saurashtra 1st innings: 140
Assam 1st innings: 127
Saurashtra 2nd innings: CR Pathak c Jadhav b Konwar 8, SD Jogiyani c Mali b Purkayastha 26, SH Kotak run out 29, RR Dave c Muzumdar b Purkayastha 2, RA Jadeja c Muzumdar b Konwar 84, JN Shah c Sriram b Konwar 18, PS Mehta b Tarjinder Singh 19, PI Solanki st Saikia b Konwar 4, KR Makvana b Tarjinder Singh 19, SM Sanandiya not out 16, HR Rathod lbw b Tarjinder Singh 0. Extras: (b 4, lb 3, nb 3) 10. Total: (all out; 80.3 overs) 235. Fall of wickets: 1-40, 2-47, 3-103, 4-134, 5-168, 6-175, 7-196, 8-202, 9-233, 10-235. Bowling: AN Ahmed 6-0-30-0, A Konwar 30-7-59-4, RL Mali 4-1-12-0, S Purkayastha 15-0-50-2, S Sriram 11-1-40-0, Tarjinder Singh 13.3-2-34-3, Sharma 1-0-3-0.
Assam 2nd innings: DS Jadhav b Sanandiya 0, AN Ahmed c Shah b Makvana 16, S Sriram c Jogiyani b Makvana 24, G Sharma b Jadeja 20, AA Muzumdar c Shah b Makvana 12, Tarjinder Singh c Jadeja b Makvana 0, SA Roy c Jogiyani b Makvana 1, KN Saikia b Jadeja 0, S Purkayastha st Jogiyani b Makvana 0, A Konwar lbw b Jadeja 0, RL Mali not out 0. Extras: (lb 2, nb 1) 3. Total: (all out; 29.3 overs) 76. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-38, 3-43, 4-67, 5-68, 6-76, 7-76, 8-76, 9-76, 10-76. Bowling: SM Sanandiya 2-0-5-1, HR Rathod 4-0-22-0, RA Jadeja 13-3-25-3, KR Makvana 10.3-3-22-6.
