Ranji Trophy: Opening credits
Some starry performances might have made a splash during the first round of the Ranji Trophy. Like Varun Khanna celebrating his recall to the Punjab team after a five-year exile with a eight-wicket match-winning haul for Punjab, Sarfaraz Khan showing just why Uttar Pradesh had welcomed the prodigy with open arms and the rise of a new pace-hope in the form of Nathu Singh.
The Indian Express looks at some of the others who shone brightly but slipped under the radar during the first week’s action.
Bhui-Ayyappa show
For a major part of their Ranji history, Andhra Pradesh have simply made up the numbers, either playing under ths shadow of their statemates Hyderabad or fighting for relevance. Last week though they took a significant step towards being noticed by getting the better of Mumbai, albeit a weakened outfit and by virtue of a first-innings lead, for the first time ever. Thanks mainly to a patient century by 19-year-old Ricky Bhui, who only last year was representing India in the U-19 World Cup and unsung medium-pacer Bandaru Ayyappa, who doubled his overall wicket-tally in a single innings with figures of 6/71 to derail a struggling Mumbai outfit.
Birthday-boy, prodigal son
It is not easy to even get a glint of the spotlight on a day Virender Sehwag is holding court. But not only did Himanshu Rana do just that, he also helped Haryana avoid a collapse with a defiant 157 on his 17th birthday. The teenager’s efforts though had to end up second-best only thanks to Ankit Bawne’s 172. Bawne’s first foray into the spotlight came on the back of an age-related controversy, which cost him a place in the 2012 U-19 World Cup squad. But since he’s become the mainstay of the Maharashtra batting line-up, averaging over 55, and he produced the highest score of his Ranji career.
Brain-der damage
Till his late teens, Brainder Sran was housed in Bhiwani, the boxing capital of the country, and was thinking a career knocking out opponents. That is before he exchanged the boxing gloves for the new-ball, and though his first stint for Punjab in first-class cricket, back in 2011, wasn’t the most eye-catching he did catch the gaze of Rahul Dravid during a Rajasthan Royals trial earlier this year, and was picked up as a bright prospect. That led to a return to Punjab colours, and though it was Khanna who stole the show with eight wickets, it was the left-arm pace of Sran that set up the victory as he snared six wickets in the Railways’ first innings on a pitch that hardly offered any help the fast bowlers.
Jaddu’s still got it
December 11, 2012 was the last time Ravindra Jadeja turned up in a Ranji Trophy encounter. Saurashtra were title contenders that season, and even made the final. He’s been on the road ever since, playing the role of MS Dhoni’s go-to man in all three formats. But his stocks have dipped rapidly in recent times, and Jadeja finds himself in the domestic grind again. Saurashtra, meanwhile, have been relegated to Group C but were propped up as expected by their talisman. Back in the familiar climes of Rajkot, Jadeja showed his worth with both bat and ball, scoring a fluent 91 before snaring 11 wickets, spells where he was as miserly and as destructive as ever, against Tripura.
Blast from the start
While all the talk in Moradabad surrounded the exploits of Sarfaraz Khan and Mohammad Saif, there was another UP teenager who stole the show with the bat. If anything it was 19-year-old Almas Shaukat who set the ball rolling with a century on debut made in a fashion that had Test opener written all over it-he faced 339 balls for his 128. Elsewhere, Vidarbha opener Aditya Shanware too started his Ranji career with an equally composed century. Army-man Diwesh Pathania though made an impact like no other in his first-ever outing, with figures of 6/19 in 16.5 overs to maul Jharkhand for 45 in their first innings. The pacer did one better second time around, taking 7/64.
Leftist Agenda
Syed Mohammed isn’t a stranger to Karnataka cricket having represented RCB in the IPL. But here he was playing for unheralded Assam up against the two-time defending champions, and it was Mohammed who gave the star-studded outfit a rude shock by spinning a web around them and finishing with figures of 7/44 on the first day, an effort that helped his team upset the apple-cart by taking three points off Karnataka. Left-arm spin was in vogue across the board during the first round matches, and Khanna wasn’t the only other one to star. The Gujarat-born Rahil Shah, a self-confessed Chennai boy, helping Tamil Nadu sneak a narrow 9-run win over Baroda on a dramatic final day.
