GUWAHATI, Dec 15 � The crucial Ranji Trophy Super League match between Assam and Saurashtra is poised critically.
On the opening day of the four-day match at Khandheri today, opting to bat first, host Saurashtra were skittled out for 140 in their first innings. But they made a great fightback taking seven Assam wickets for 107.
On a difficult wicket, the host team found it tough to tackle Assam�s spinners. Abu Nechim Ahmed gave the first breakthrough taking Jogiyani�s wicket for 4. After that spinners dominated the proceeding and removed Saurashtra wickets one after another. Makeshift spinner Tarjinder Singh was the top wicket-taker with 3 victims while Abu, Arlen Konwar and Sarupam Purkayastha scalped two each.
SK Kotak top scored with 44 while CR Pathak (25), Ravindra Jadeja (22), RR Dave (17) were the other useful contributors.
But Assam were soon in trouble when they opened their innings. Team India player Ravindra Jadeja took the vital wickets of S Sriram, Amol Mazumdar and Tarjinder Singh which virtually broke the Assam�s backbone. The visitors lost their seventh wicket at the total of 76 but an unbeaten 31-run partnership between Sarupam Purkayastha (23) and Abu (8) gave Assam some respectability as they managed to cross the 100-run mark. Apart from Sarupam, Kunal Saikia (18) and Gokul Sharma were the only batsmen to get double figures.
Now everything will depend on the remaining Assam batsmen as they have to stay at the crease as long as possible and add adequate runs. To bat in the fourth innings will be a tough task so Assam batsmen have to be very cautious.
SCORECARD
Saurashtra 1st innings: CR Pathak c Sriram b Konwar 25, SD Jogiyani c Saikia b Ahmed 4, SH Kotak c Sharma b Tarjinder Singh 44, RA Jadeja c & b Tarjinder Singh 22, JN Shah c & b Tarjinder Singh 0, RR Dave run out (Sharma) 17, PS Mehta lbw b Konwar 1, PI Solanki not out 13, KR Makvana st Saikia b Purkayastha 2, SM Sanandiya lbw b Ahmed 1, HR Rathod c Mali b Purkayastha 1. Extras: (b 4, lb 4, w 1, nb 1) 10. Total: (all out; 51.4 overs) 140. Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-53, 3-92, 4-92, 5-105, 6-106, 7-132, 8-138, 9-139, 10-140. Bowling: RL Mali 4-0-19-0, AN Ahmed 13-1-40-2, A Konwar 14-5-33-2, S Purkayastha 10.4-2-27-2, Tarjinder Singh 10-3-13-3.
Assam 1st innings: DS Jadhav c Kotak b Makvana 13, SA Roy c Jadeja b Rathod 5, S Sriram c Dave b Jadeja 3, AA Muzumdar c Shah b Jadeja 1, Tarjinder Singh lbw b Jadeja 7, G Sharma c Shah b Makvana 15, KN Saikia c Sanandiya b Makvana 18, S Purkayastha not out 23, AN Ahmed not out 8. Extras: (b 8, lb 5, nb 1) 14. Total: (7 wickets; 39 overs) 107. Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-15, 3-20, 4-33, 5-60, 6-61, 7-76. Bowling: SM Sanandiya 3-0-7-0, HR Rathod 7-4-7-1, RA Jadeja 16-7-35-3, KR Makvana 10-2-34-3, SH Kotak 3-1-11-0.
GUWAHATI, Dec 15 � The crucial Ranji Trophy Super League match between Assam and Saurashtra is poised critically.
On the opening day of the four-day match at Khandheri today, opting to bat first, host Saurashtra were skittled out for 140 in their first innings. But they made a great fightback taking seven Assam wickets for 107.
On a difficult wicket, the host team found it tough to tackle Assam�s spinners. Abu Nechim Ahmed gave the first breakthrough taking Jogiyani�s wicket for 4. After that spinners dominated the proceeding and removed Saurashtra wickets one after another. Makeshift spinner Tarjinder Singh was the top wicket-taker with 3 victims while Abu, Arlen Konwar and Sarupam Purkayastha scalped two each.
SK Kotak top scored with 44 while CR Pathak (25), Ravindra Jadeja (22), RR Dave (17) were the other useful contributors.
But Assam were soon in trouble when they opened their innings. Team India player Ravindra Jadeja took the vital wickets of S Sriram, Amol Mazumdar and Tarjinder Singh which virtually broke the Assam�s backbone. The visitors lost their seventh wicket at the total of 76 but an unbeaten 31-run partnership between Sarupam Purkayastha (23) and Abu (8) gave Assam some respectability as they managed to cross the 100-run mark. Apart from Sarupam, Kunal Saikia (18) and Gokul Sharma were the only batsmen to get double figures.
Now everything will depend on the remaining Assam batsmen as they have to stay at the crease as long as possible and add adequate runs. To bat in the fourth innings will be a tough task so Assam batsmen have to be very cautious.
SCORECARD
Saurashtra 1st innings: CR Pathak c Sriram b Konwar 25, SD Jogiyani c Saikia b Ahmed 4, SH Kotak c Sharma b Tarjinder Singh 44, RA Jadeja c & b Tarjinder Singh 22, JN Shah c & b Tarjinder Singh 0, RR Dave run out (Sharma) 17, PS Mehta lbw b Konwar 1, PI Solanki not out 13, KR Makvana st Saikia b Purkayastha 2, SM Sanandiya lbw b Ahmed 1, HR Rathod c Mali b Purkayastha 1. Extras: (b 4, lb 4, w 1, nb 1) 10. Total: (all out; 51.4 overs) 140. Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-53, 3-92, 4-92, 5-105, 6-106, 7-132, 8-138, 9-139, 10-140. Bowling: RL Mali 4-0-19-0, AN Ahmed 13-1-40-2, A Konwar 14-5-33-2, S Purkayastha 10.4-2-27-2, Tarjinder Singh 10-3-13-3.
Assam 1st innings: DS Jadhav c Kotak b Makvana 13, SA Roy c Jadeja b Rathod 5, S Sriram c Dave b Jadeja 3, AA Muzumdar c Shah b Jadeja 1, Tarjinder Singh lbw b Jadeja 7, G Sharma c Shah b Makvana 15, KN Saikia c Sanandiya b Makvana 18, S Purkayastha not out 23, AN Ahmed not out 8. Extras: (b 8, lb 5, nb 1) 14. Total: (7 wickets; 39 overs) 107. Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-15, 3-20, 4-33, 5-60, 6-61, 7-76. Bowling: SM Sanandiya 3-0-7-0, HR Rathod 7-4-7-1, RA Jadeja 16-7-35-3, KR Makvana 10-2-34-3, SH Kotak 3-1-11-0.
