Ranji Trophy 2015, Group B: Mumbai bundle out Punjab for 154 on Day 1

Mumbai players walk back to the pavilion after bowling out Punjab for 154 in their Ranji Trophy match. (Source: Express photo by Kevin D’Souza)

Hosts Mumbai took early control of their Group B Ranji Trophy fixture against Punjab by bundling out the visitors for a meagre 154 in 57 overs on day one of the four-day game at the Wankhede Stadium.

Medium pacers Shardul Thakur and Balwinder Singh Sandhu continued the good form they showed in the season opener for Mumbai against Andhra at Vizianagaram by sharing eight wickets between them as Punjab batsmen showed poor application on a track that assisted seam bowling.

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The most experienced bowler in the 40-time champions’ line-up, Dhawal Kulkarni, picked up a late wicket while one batsman were run out after Punjab were asked to take first strike by Mumbai skipper Aditya Tare on winning the toss.

In reply, Mumbai lost their openers Shrideep Mungela and Akhil Herwadkar cheaply.

But one-down Shreyas Iyer played an attacking, unbeaten knock of 61 off 43 balls with 10 fours and a six to take charge in the company of Suryakumar Yadav (16) and help the hosts finish at a healthy 103 for 2 in 18 overs.

Punjab started in an encouraging fashion when openers Manan Vohra (34) and Jinvanjot Singh (11) kept the Mumbai bowlers at bay for 16 overs, adding 39 for the first wicket.

However, once Sandhu got the breakthrough with a one-handed return catch off Jivanjot, it was a virtual procession of batsmen to and fro from the dressing room to the batting crease.

Gitansh Khera, one of four batsmen who played a triple figure knock in Punjab’s innings win over Railways in their group opener at home, made the second highest score of 32.

At lunch the visitors were 69 for 3 with skipper Yuvraj Singh at the crease but soon after the break he edged to his counterpart Tare behind the stumps off Sandhu.

There was a brief period of resistance when Khera and Sarbjeet Ladda added 33 runs for the eighth wicket before Mumbai polished off the innings.

Brief scores:

Punjab 154 all out (Manan Vohra 34, Gitansh Khera 32; S Thakur 4 for 47, Balwinder Sandhu 4 form 31). Mumbai 103 for 2 (S Iyer not out 61, S Yadav not out 16).

TN reach 225/5 against MP on Day 1

Tamil Nadu made a decent start reaching 225 for five in their first innings against hosts Madhya Pradesh at stumps on the opening day of their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match.

Sent into bat, Tamil Nadu did not have the best of starts as they lost opener K Bharath Shankar (1) early.

Tamil Nadu skipper Abhinav Mukund (24) and Baba Aparajith (56) then added 63 tuns for the second wicket before the former departed, caught and bowled by medium pacer Udit Birla (2/16).

Brief Scores: 

Tamil Nadu: 225 for five in 89 overs (Baba Aparajith 56, Ramaswamy Prasanna 51 not out; Udit Birla 2/16)

Baroda in command against Railways

Baroda bundled out Railways for 166 before scoring 118/1 in their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match.

Opting to bat after captain Mahesh Rawat won the toss, Railways found the going difficult from the word go, soon losing half the side with just 45 runs on the board.

The visitors were eventually all out 48 overs at the Moti Bagh Stadium.

Fast-medium bowler Hardik Pandya (5/61) and left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh (4/31) were the wreckers in chief, sharing nine wickets between them.

Parthiv scores century as Gujarat reach 250/5

Out-of-favour India wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel scored a brilliant century to help Gujarat overcome early jitters and reach 250 for five against Andhra on the first day of their Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match.

Put in to bat, Gujarat were struggling at 69 for three before Parthiv steadied in the boat, scoring a 176-ball 122, studded with 18 fours.

Brief scores:

Gujarat 1st innings: 250 for five in 81 overs (Parthiv Patel 122, Y Venugopal Rao 39, Rujul Bhatt batting 27; DP Vijaykumar 3/61, D Siva Kumar 2/33) vs Andhra.