Ranji Trophy 2012-13, Round II, Day 4

Finally an end to the round that produced three results and nine draws. Well played Delhi, Assam and Punjab. Jharkhand did well too, although they ended up on the losing side. Quality of spin on a square turner in Chennai was very depressing. Only 10 wickets fell there in four days. Anyway that's the end of it. Join this blog again on the 17th for the third round. Cheers

4.59 - Finally Writes in Amol Karhadkar from Pune: "And it's finally over. Bhuvneshwar Kumar finishes the game with two successive sixes off Akshay Darekar. UP 669 for 7 Points: Maha 1, UP 1" UP joint leaders with seven. Maharashtra get one from their opener

"Reading comprehension is in rather short supply at Cricinfo, it seems. Daljit Singh says "550 in first innings" and somehow those words have been twisted to "550 on first day". Though 550 average in first innings isn't ideal either. It means win the toss, win the match/points." Chill Vishal, it's a typo. I meant to write "innings". Nonetheless, I am glad you agree 550 in the first innings of a four-day match is preposterous

4.53pm - Says Amol K Nobody offering to shake hands in Pune. The next over will be the last of the mandatory ones. UP 652 for 7

4.47pm - Sorry to break it to you Aakash and others I don't know what directive you are talking about. This is what Daljit Singh, chief groundsman, told PTI: "Daljit Singh, the chairman of the BCCI's grounds & pitches committee. According to PTI, he said this: "I am a little bit worried about the Pune strip that has produced 700-plus scores. We need to have a proper look at the pitch. The BCCI's directive regarding the wicket that would be prepared for the Ranji Trophy is pretty clear. It should be a sporting wicket where a standard first-innings score should be in the region of 550-plus and it shouldn't start turning square from the first day itself."

I just hope somebody from BCCI denies that the ideal wicket, according to them, should concede an average of 550 in the first innings

4.43pm - No mercy in Pune They are still playing. This match seems to have gone on for longer than the 2007 World Cup

4.34pm - Now for the final act to put me out of my misery Amol K from Pune: "And he's gone. Anupam Sanklecha finally shatters Chawla's defence and the off stump goes for a walk. The umpire needs to check if the bowler had overstepped. He hasn't. And Chawla's rescue act is over. 156 runs (140b, 18x4, 8x6). UP 635 for 7"

And no, they haven't called it off yet

4.31pm - Satish gets icing Edges a slower legcutter between keeper and wide slip. This four takes him to a maiden double. Hugs CMG at the other end, and removes his helmet. He is an exhuasted man, but a satisfied exhausted man. The game is called off. Karnataka reach four points now. Tamil Nadu stuck at two

4.25pm - Amol (I pity him) Karhadkar from Pune Chawla pulls Fallah to deep square leg boundary and raises his bat for surpassing 150. Not only has he raised his highest first-class score but has also helped UP deprive Maharashtra of the first-innings lead

4.21pm - Satish's best Ganesh Satish reaches 191, his personal best. I suspect they'll shake hands as soon as he reaches 200

4.18pm - Karnataka take three in thriller With a cover-drive between cover-point and cover, Satish takes Karnataka to three points. Pumps his fist without dislocating shoulder. The whole dressing room on its feet. What a show . Fireworks all over Bangalore, I am told. But they could have something to do with Diwali. Satish should bat on for 200 now

4.14pm - New ball makes it easier Ten runs in the first over with the new ball. Karnataka 534 for 6 now. Five required

4.12pm - Draw in Goa too J&K hang in long enough to take one point. Goa take three from their first game

4.10pm - Final throw of the dice for TN L Balaji has called for a new ball. M Mohammed takes it. Fifteen required. eight overs to go

4.08pm - It is Karnataka's game now Gautam sweeps a full toss from Aswhin for four followed by a sweep for two. Karnataka 521 for 6. Almost there

4.02pm - More drama in Chennai They survive a close run-out appeal. Twenty-seven required now in nine overs

"If only, in addition to courage, CMG had as much time as SMG had to score 36 runs hehe :)" Memory of an elephant there, PGN

4pm - J&K headed towards safety They have now reached 88 for 6, a lead of 20 runs. That's some recovery from 40 for 6

3.55pm CMG has come back to bat. Showing SMG-like courage. Thirty-six required in Chennai

3.51pm - Karnataka still have it tough Sunil Raju is stumped off the bowling of Malolan. They are now 500 for 6. They still need 39 for the lead. And Gautam is retired-hurt with a dislocated shoulder

3.50pm - The milestone man Ravindra Jadeja has joined VVS Laxman and Wasim Jaffer as the only men to have scored two triple-centuries in Ranji Trophy. And he has done it in the first matches of back-to-back Ranji seasons. Mercifully, the match is called off as soon as he gets there. Saurashtra get to three points after their first match. Gujarat have four after two

"What is the motivating factor for Tamil Nadu in this match now? Whether they concede the first innings lead or not, they will get 1 point. Why are they bowling now, to get the remaining 4 wickets?" Yayathy Raj, Ranji is not that straightforward. TN's motivation is to deny Karnataka two extra points. That can prove handy in the final equation

3.41pm - Draws, draws, draws Another draw now. In Naduan, Soumya Swain's hundred helps Services keep Himachal at bay. Himachal take three points to reach six. Services now have four

Shake of hands in Anantapur too. Andhra and Tripura have agreed on a draw. Andhra take three points to reach four. Tripura open their account with one point

As soon as Faiz Fazal falls for 98, Vidarbha and Baroda agree on the draw too. Baroda now have six points, and Vidarbha seven

3.40pm - Chawla sending a message to the curator Says Amol K: "Chawla is using the long handle effectively. He dances down the wicket off left-arm spinner Akshay Darekar for three consecutive sixes over long-on"

3.33pm - Final drinks break in Chennai Karnataka 491 for 5. They have slowed down after Gautam's retirement. They need 48 more now

3.23pm - Hundred for Chawla too Says Amol K from Pune: "Piyush Chawla cuts Anupam Sanklecha through point and a misfield allows him to get the much-needed single that takes him to his third first-class century - 95b, 13x4, 4x6"

3.22pm - Equation in Chennai Karnataka need 56 in 18 overs. Satish 161 not out. Raju looking tentative, with 4 off 38. How that retirement has give TN a sniff

3.21pm - All over in Jaipur Mercifully the match in Jaipur has been called off. Mumbai take three points, Rajasthan one. Total tally: Mumbai 6, Rajasthan 2

3.20pm - Wicket. Wicket. Wicket The press absolutely needs to be stopped. Saurashtra have lost a wicket. Jogiyani falls 18 short of a triple-century. Through a run-out. The partnership was worth 539. Second-highest ever. Record holders, Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammad, can rest in peace

3.15pm - J&K hang in Samiullah Beigh and Bandeep Singh have added 32 for the seventh wicket. At least this make sure Goa will have to chase something should they get the remaining four wickets

3.08pm - Another drop by Tamil Nadu With Gautam retired-hurt, Tamil Nadu are creating some excitement, but they have failed to latch on to another catch. That's four catches dropped. News from Karnataka dressing room is that Gautam has dislocated his shoulder. Score 479 for 5, need 60 more in 21 overs

3.06pm - Nayar gets second century Abhishek Nayar scores his second century of the season. It has come with wickets falling around him. He gets there with No. 11 Shardul Thakur for company. And that was the last matter of interest in this match

3.05pm - Amol karhadkar has stayed awake in Pune He writes in, "Arish Alam's patient knock comes to an end as he holes out to Sangram Atitkar off part-time offie Ankit Bawne for 70. Maharashtra need four more wickets off 27 overs"

2.51pm - CM Gautam gets hundred too A knock full of character. Hundred off just 142 balls, on a turning track, when many would have gladly taken the safety route. This is Gautam's sixth first-class hundred. Karnataka 470 for 5. They need 69 for the lead.

Hang on. Gautam has hurt his shoulder while celebrating the century, and is retiring-hurt on 100 not out. The partnership is 181. Some late drama as Sunil Raju comes out to bat

2.50pm - Partnership record under threat The highest-ever partnership in Ranji Trophy - 577 between Vijay Hazare and Gul Mohammad way back in 1946-47 - is under serious threat from jadeja and Jogiyano, who have just gone past the erstwhile second-highest - 520, between Pujara and Jadeja. This is absolute carnage

2.30pm - Jadeja and Jogiyani eye triples Jadeja is not out on 271, Jogiyani on 260. Saurashtra have taken the lead, records left to be broken. Jadeja could join Wasim Jaffer and VVS Laxman as the only men to have scored two Ranji triples

2.28pm - Tea in Pune too Reports Amol K: "At tea, UP 528 for 5. Arish Alam (68) and Piyush Chawla (81) have shared an unbroken stand of 120 runs"

2.25pm - What a session for Karnataka Karnataka have reached 455 for 5 by tea. They batted positively in the middle session, losing no wicket and adding 112 runs. Satish and Gautam have turned this game around. They need 84 more in the final session. Expect defensive bowling and time-wasting tactics in the final session

2.20pm - Karnataka bring it down to two figures Urgent and positive batting from Ganesh Satish and CM Gautam have brought their first-innings lead target down to under 100. They need just 97 more. Gautam reaches 150 with a pulled six. Gautam is 86 not out

2.15pm - Services approach safety Thanks to a century from Soumya Swain, and a fifty from Anshul Gupta, Services have erased the lead with six wickets still in hand. They are 37 ahead, and look good to salvage one point from this match

2.10pm - Saurashtra take three Saurashtra have taken the first-innings lead in this Gujarat derby. This pitch is one of the reasons why teams don't declare. Six hundred has been chase dwith eight wickets in hand. The partnership between Jadeja and Jogiyani is now 426. Jadeja is 259, Jogiyani 247. Jadeja looking good for a second triple. And this is already the highest partnership for the third wicket in Ranji Trophy history

2.06pm - Second innings win for Punjab Siddarth Kaul traps Ashok Dinda lbw. Shukla is stranded on 91 not out. Punjab win by an innings and 27 runs. Five for Gony, four for Siddarth Kaul. Punjab on top of Group A with 14 points. Some start to the season

2.05pm - Fazal steers Vidarbha towards safety Faiz Fazal is 76 not out in four hours, and he has added 95 with Shakabh Shrivastava for the fourth wicket. Vidarbha now 168 for 3, need 72 to make Baroda bat again. Thirty-three overs to go

2pm - Jadeja and Jogiyani break partnership record The two Saurashtra batsmen have now added 469 for the third wicket, smashing the previous record - 436. Now Saurasthra need just 12 to win three points. Jadeja 254 not out, Jogiyani 236 not out

1.56pm - Sensational collapse in Goa This was completely unexpected. This match was headed towards a draw, but J&K are now down at 46 for 6. Shadab Jakati has taken four wickets. They need 22 to make Goa bat again

1.55 - And Gony strikes two more blows Punjab can almost touch seven points now. Manpreet Giny consigns Veerpratap Singh and Sourav Sarkar to ducks in the same over. Five-for for him. Punjab need one wicket, Shukla needs 17 to get to his century. That's the only contest left in this match

1.50pm - Punjab break through Saha can't convert his fourth fifty into a century here. He is gone for 57, bowled by Bipul Sharma. Shukla is 83 off 77. Wonder if he will keep attacking. Bengal 37 short of preventing an innings defeat

1.45pm - Amol Karhadkar from Pune "The Pune crowd that had gone after Chawla for the last two days seems to loving his aggressive batting. With the left-handed batsman having raced to 53 off 29 balls (10x4, 1x6), the crowd is chanting, 'Boom, boom, Chawla'. Wonder what Shahid Afridi think if he gets to know this." Well, apart from providing some consolatory entertainment to the crowd, Chawla proving the wicket is still flat

1.35pm - Double for Jogiyani too Sagar Jogiyani has scored a double-century too, to join Ravindra Jadeja. Their massive partnership is worth 422 now, only 15 shy of breaking the all-time third-wicket record. Saurashtra need just 59 to take three points

1.30pm - Karnataka reach 400 They are 400 for 5 now, and need 139 to take the lead. Game is very much on at Chepauk. Satish and Gautam have added 111. This will be a close fight with the time coming into play too

1.27pm - Saha and Shukla at it again Lokhi Shukla has attacked his way to a fifty, and the more sedate Wriddhi Saha has reached it too. This is Saha's fourth half-century in four innings this season. They have now added 94 for the sixth wicket. Bengal now need fewer than 50 to make Punjab bat again

1.20pm - Assam do it Arlen Konwar takes the last wicket, his fourth, to go with Syed Mohammed's five, and Assam have registered a 53-run win on a turner in Jamshedpur. They now have 13 points from two games. Jamshedpur will be gutted with their lower-order collapses in both innings

1.10pm - Assam a step closer Arlen Konwar takes another wicket. Jharkhand 156 for 9 now. Need another 57. Assam all set to top Group C with 13 points

1.06pm - Delhi take all seven Delhi surge to top of Group B with a win by 10 wickets. Shikhar Dhawan scored 55 and Unmukt Chand 23 as they cruise through the chase of 82 runs. Siperb comeback for them after the defeat to UP in the first round

1.05pm - Tamil Nadu shell another chance Abhinav Mukund drops Ganesh Satish at first slip. Satish was 116 then. Karnataka 382 for 5. CM Gautam has crossed his fifty too. karnataka have scored 33 in the last six overs. So they are going for it. Interesting stuff

12.58pm - Mumbai get three Abhishek Nayar and Ankeet Chavan take Mumbai to 479 for 6. That's three points for Mumbai. Another game done and dusted. Now some batting practice to follow. Nayar 34 not out, Chavan 24 not out

12.55pm - Amol Karhadkar from Pune "Fallah gets his third wicket of the day as he gets rid of set batsman Parvinder Singh for 35. UP 408 for 5"

And he adds hastily: "Piyush Chawla makes his presence felt with two sweetly timed cover-driven boundaries off the first two balls he faces. And the next one despatched to the point boundary. He's batting on 12 off 3 balls"

12.48pm - Surely it's over now? J Syed Mohammed, who didn;t get a chance in Tamil Nadu, has taken a five-for for Assam to reduce Jharkhand to 155 for 8. Gautam gone. That's a huge wicket

12.46pm - Another wicket for Assam Arlen Konwar, who took six wickets in the first innings, has now taken two quick ones to make it 155 for 7. Shiv Gautam, 30 not out, is now the key for Jharkhand. Hosts need 58 runs, Assam three wickets

12.45pm - Delhi closer to seven points Delhi openers have now added 61, needing another 21 for the win. Captain Shikhar Dhawan 35 off 41, and Unmukt Chand 22 off 42

12.43pm - Another double for Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja began the last season with a triple, and is now 213 not out. Jogiyani is following him too with 178 not out. The partnership is 368 - 68 short of the all-time Ranji record for the third wicket. Saurashtra need 113 for three points

12.42pm - Mumbai edge closer Abhishek Nayar is once again scoring the crucial runs for Mumbai. They are now 463 for 6 with the seventh-wicket stand reading 43. Just the 16 more now

12.40pm - Saha and Shukla get stuck in again Another partnership with Wriddhi and Lokhi. They have added 35 for the seventh wicket to delay Punjab's march. Saha is 14 short of what can be a fourth fifty in four innings this season

12.36pm - Jharkhand cross 150 They are now 155 for 6, needing another 58 to win. This is the match to watch out for

12.35pm - 550-plus? Are you serious? Forget Raina and Reeve, the most disturbing quote of the day have come from Daljit Singh, the chairman of the BCCI's grounds & pitches committee. According to PTI, he said this: "I am a little bit worried about the Pune strip that has produced 700-plus scores. We need to have a proper look at the pitch. The BCCI's directive regarding the wicket that would be prepared for the Ranji Trophy is pretty clear. It should be a sporting wicket where a standard first-innings score should be in the region of 550-plus and it shouldn't start turning square from the first day itself."

If true, it is quite shameful that the board wants 550 to be the average first-innings total in four-day games. Somebody from BCCI better deny this

12.20pm - The thriller continues Jharkhand have lost another wicket, but have also reached 137 in Jamshedpur. Assam ahead here, but one partnership can change it. Seventy-six required. Four wickets in hand. Arlen Konwar has just got Shahbaz Nadeem

Noon - Group C lunch updates Finally, the thriller in Jamshedpur, where Jharkhand are 121 for 5, chasing 213. Set batsman Deepak Chigule just gone. J Syed Mohammad has four wickets

In Nadaun, Himachal are facing stiff resistance from Services, who have reached 175 for 3. The fourth-wicket stand is now 127 between Anshul Gupta and Soumya Swain. Fifty-seven more runs, and Himachal will have to bat again

In Ananthapur and Goa, batting practice goes on after the leads have been claimed by Andhra and Goa respectively. Andhra a little closer to thinking of a result, having taken three second-innings wickets, but still there might not be enough time left

11.50am - Group B now At Kotla, Delhi are still on for a full seven points. Chasing 82, they are 32 for 0 at lunch. Remember, if they win by 10 wickets, they get seven points. If they lose a wicket, they lose that bonus point and will have to do with six

In Chennai, Karnataka are 343 for 5 thanks to Ganesh Satish's unbeaten century. CM Gautam is unbeaten on 36. To get three points, Karnataka need 196 in two sessions, and more realistically Tamil Nadu need five wickets. If neither happens, they get a point each

In Vadodara, Baroda have added two wickets to their tally in the first session. At 85 for 3, Vidarbha need 165 to prevent an innings defeat. Fifty-five overs remain

In Pune, UP go into lunch at 389 for 4. Maharashtra need six wickets in 57 overs to take three points. Otherwise both get one each. UP have nothing to play for, except denying Maharashtra two extra points

11.45am - Lunch updates from Group A I have already told you about Punjab-Bengal. Now, in Jaipur, Mumbai are 438 for 6, needing another 41 for the first-innings lead. They can rely on Nayar, but you never know what can happen under pressure

In Surat, Jadeja has gone into lunch needing seven for a double-century. Saurashtra 462 for 2 with Jogiyani on 173. They need 139 more for three points

In Hyderabad, MP have taken the lead thanks to centuries from Bundela. Don't think we will need more updates from there

11.35am - Record a-tumble in Surat Jadeja and Jogiyani have added 330 for the third wicket, which is well past Saurashtra's third-wicket partnership record. And 106 short of the all-time third-wicket record in Ranji Trophy, held by SS Das and SS Raul. Jadeja 185, Jogiyani 169. Saurashtra 450 for 2, chasing 601 for three points

Punjab strike just before lunch Over in Mohali, Punjab have taken another big step towards an outright win. It's Siddarth Kaul again who traps Manoj Tiwary lbw. Bengal 113 for 6 at lunch. Still needing 140 to avoid innings defeat. Over to Saha and Shukla again

11.27am - Satish gets hundred Ganesh Satish reaches his century at Chepauk after a nervous period in the 90s. He leaps in the air to celebrate it. The applause from his team-mates echoes in the empty stadium. Fufth first-class hundred for him. Karnataka 333 for 5. Still need 206 to overtake TN's total

11.25am - Tense times in Jaipur Mumbai have reached 427 for 6 now with a partnership that has added seven in 5.2 overs. Still need 52 to take the lead

11.20am - Bengal cross 100 Wriddhiman Saha, once again, and Manoj Tiwary have added 63 for the sixth wicket. At 102 for 5, they still 151 to make Punjab bat

11.12 - Twist in Jaipur Hiken Shah is gone on 140, followed immediately by Suryakumar Yadav for 11. Abhishek Nayar is now the key man with Mumbai 59 for three points. Four wickets in hand

11.10am - Himachal stalled again The fourth-wicket stand for Services is now worth 82. At 130 for 3, they need another 102 to make Himachal bat again

11.08am - Tenseness continues in Jamshedpur Jharkhand have reached 116 for 4. Requirement under 100 now. Ninety-seven to be precise

11.05am - Partnership for Vidarbha Faiz Fazal and SS Das have added 50 the third wicket. Vidarbha 57 for 2. Need another 193 to make Baroda bat again

11.03am - Odisha bowled out Vikas Mishra takes the final wicket. Odisha 269 all out. Delhi need just 82 for an outright win. There will be slight pressure on their openers because if they get there without any loss, Delhi can take seven points from this game

11.02am - Saxena gets hundred, MP nearing three points The partnership between Bundela and Saxena has now 161. They have more than doubled the score since they joined each other. Like Bundela, Saxena has brought up his hundred too. And 19 more runs required for three points

11am - Runs continue to flow in Surat It's been 80 overs without a wicket in the match between Gujarat and Saurashtra. Ravindra Jadeja and Sagar Jogiyani could get doubles. A long road still for Saurashtra who 410 for 2 replying to Gujarat's 600

10.52 - UP in a spot of bother Amol Karhadkar reports from Pune: "Sanklecha persists with the line outside the off stump to Srivastava. And the right-arm medium pacer is finally rewarded as Srivastava chases one but only manages to edge it to wicketkeeper Motwani. Do we have a match on our hands here?"

Tanmay gone for a career-best 179. UP 351 for 4

10.50am - Keen contest at Keenan "Saurabh Tiwary is out, I believe this seals the match for Assam in their favour unless there is a great lower order fightback for which there is very slim hope."

Naman Gupta, that indeed is a big wicket, but I wouldn't go close to saying it's all over. Jharkhand are now 110 for 4. Need another 103 to win

"@Sid: The Reeve issue aside, I am surprised by your defence of Maharashtra's move citing the pitch to be a highway. How much "scoreboard pressure" does a team add by moving from 720 odd to 760 odd in an hour's play? Maha were well above 700 when Jadhav got out: isn't that enough scoreboard pressure? Carrying on was a shame." Anirudh and Srinivasan, I understand your frustration as spectators, but when I think of it from the team's point of view, once you have been given that paata, you are never sure what is enough. I agree this is a horrible advertisement for Indian first-class cricket, but once you see that pitch you can empathise with the team. Now who asked for that pitch? That's another story

10.45am - Hiken Shah takes Mumbai closer Another match approaching an early expiration. Mumbai are now 414 for 4 having just lost nightwatchman Kshemal Waingankar for 25. Hiken Shah is 140 not out, and Mumbai need another 65 to take three points from Jaipur

10.41am - One more step for Tamil Nadu Captain L Balaji gets Stuart Binny. Binny has been a little too adventurous here. Drives hard ad a ball that is not full enough. It stops at him, and Prasanna at short midwicket takes a difficult catch. Karnataka 289 for 5. Strictly speaking, Karnataka have nothing to play for now. Even if they get bowled out, they will get their one point. It's TN who are going for three points. Do Karnataka want to cost TN those two points badly enough?

"Wow this Guy Murugan Ashwin of TN team has a Twirl Twist bowling action and Spins a mile...He also has a nice googly....It will be great if he can get some consistency...A good prospect coming up for India... " Sarathy, I would advise you to net get carried away. He is bowling on a crumbling square turner, and has got one wicket in 28 overs

10.40am - Another match dies early Goa have crossed J&K's 338 for the loss of four wickets in a slow-scoring game. That will be that with this game too. Goa get three, J&K 1

"Why cant every pitch in India be like Mohali's pitch??"

"Not mohali, like ghaziabad pitch"

Smiran and Sparsh, how about Lahli? As they say in Haryana, guaratneeshuda outright result

10.35am - First five-for of the round Pawan Suyal, not even part of Delhi XI in their last game, has picked up five at Kotla. Odisha 267 for 9, and are 79 ahead

10.30am - Gony time in Punjab Manpreet Gony has claimed three wickets this morning, and Siddarth Kaul has added one to his overnight tally. Bengal are now reeling at 64 for 5. Manoj Tiwary and Wriddhiman Saha in. Laxmi Shukla another hope for them. Still need 189 to make Punjab bat

10.25am - Dead in Anantapur Tripura have crawled to 50 for 1 in 27 overs. The first-innings lead has already been decided, so no point following that game

10.20am - Himachal's push continues Vikramjeet Malik gets hosts Himachal a wicket early in the morning, but Services's fourth-wicket stand between Anshul Gupta and Soumya Swain is now worth 43. Services 91 for 3. Need another another 141 to make Himachal bat again

10.17am - Partnership in Jamshedpur Saurabh Tiwary and Deepak Chougule have now added 29 for the fourth wicket, and Jharkhand are 101 for 3. Still need 112 to win. Tiwary showing patience: 27 off 125 now. Close match this

10.15am - Baroda push harder too Baroda have taken an early wicket too. They need eight more now. Firdaush Bhaja has taken both the wickets. Vidarbha 31 for 2. Still need 218 to make Baroda bat again

"Ok guys, atleast he has the guts to question the oppostion team and management..If he does not score a century here in this F1 track that does not mean he is a talented cricketer.. So just cool down guys..this 22 players from both teams and team management plus the CI journalist and all are wasting their 4 days of their lifetime in this useless match in senseless pitch.... Wondering why the indian does not care about the FC cricket in india?"

Srinivasan, you clearly didn't read what I wrote. Raina is spot on about the pitch, but his personal attack on Reeve was not tasteful. His own India coach is defensive, he is also a foreigner, but I haven't heard Raina discuss Fletcher's salary in the press. Reeve is just an easy target here. It's Maharashtra who are to blame. And just because they have a slightly high-profile coach, you can't put all the blame on his head. What about the captain? What about the association?

10.05 am - Finally a wicket at Chepauk Tamil Nadu can still entertain thoughts of three points. Legspinner Ashwin produces his maiden first-class wicket. Flighted delivery, part of pitch explodes as it pitches, the ball stops at Amit Verma, and he scoops back a return catch. Karnataka, at 266 for 4, are in an interesting position: they don't look like they can get the lead, and they will get one point regardless of whether they get bowled out or not. The only incentive for Karnataka to bat out the day today is to cost Tamil Nadu two points

10am - Delhi turn the screws Pawan Suyal has given Delhi just the start they needed on the final day. First he removes Odisha captain Natraj Behera, and then gets rid of Basanth Mohanty first ball. He misses the hat-trick, but Delhi can smell an outright win now. Odisha eight down and just 56 ahead

9.56am - Assam strike back J Syed Mohammed gets his second wicket. Rameez Nemat is gone for 42. Jharkhand 73 for 3. Need another 140 on this turner. Saurabh Tiwary is the key here

9.55am - Saxena, Bundela continue good work Devendra Bundela and Vineet Saxena have taken MP ever closer to a first-innings lead in Hyderabad. They are now 292 for 5, with Saxena having reached 84. Bundela is 110 not out. Just the 50 needed now

"Well Raina's comments are still valid, whichever way you look at them. A couple of batsmen failing do not make a pitch a good one when it has been a road right throughout. And if this is not a flat wicket, it makes batting on, on the third day of a four day match even worse."

PGN, of course they are valid comments, but only regarding the pitch. Don't take what I said earlier seriously. However, I don't like his personal attack at Dermot Reeve. Reeve is a soft target here. He is a foreigner who will never hold an influential position in the board. So you can say anything against him and he has no way to get back. Why not call out the opposition captain, for example? Isn't cricket supposed to be captain's game? And I have never heard Raina discuss Duncan Flecther's salary in public

For what it's worth, even if Reeve made sure Maharashtra didn't declare until so late, given the quality of the pitch, I don't think it was a bad move from him. When you know the pitch is not going to get you wickets, the scoreboard pressure can. I know it's not good for the spectators and is a horrible advertisement for the game, but once you are given that pitch there isn't much you can do

9.45am - Slow start for Mumbai Mumbai haven't scored a run in the 3.3 overs this morning. Still need 119 for the three points

9.40am - Punjab strike early Manpreet Gony has provided Punjab their second wicket. Writam Porel falls. Bengal 25 for 2. Another 89 overs to go

9.35am - Flat wicket, what flat wicket? Amol Karhadkar has sensational news from Pune: "Maharashtra take the new ball after three overs. And Samad Fallah strikes with the first ball to trap Mohammad Kaif in front of the wicket. Two balls later, Fallah fools Suresh Raina to get through his defence and shatter the woodwork. UP 295 for 3" Doesn't sound that clever now, does Raina?

9.20am - Tough chance goes down in Chennai Baba Aparajith creates a bat-pad opportunity early in the day, but forward short leg can't hold on to one low to his left. Ganesh Satish survives. Karnataka 244 for 3

9.05am - Jharkhand begin in earnest Rameez Nemat is getting close to a second half-century in this low-scoring match. Jharkhand 72 for 2 chasing 213 on a turning track

9am Keenan Stadium is the chase to watch out for. And also if Odisha can keep Delhi in the field long enough to deny them full points. Also of interest will be to see if Himachal, Baroda and Punjab can find the victories they are pushing for. MP v Hyderabad is set up for a close fight for first-innings lead. Mumbai and Goa hold the upper hand in their quests for three points. Can Tamil Nadu spinners take the amount of wickets that should fit the square turner they are bowling on? Gujarat-Saurashtra and Maharashtra-UP are a little hopeless. Andhra-Tripura has already had a first-innings result, and that's all we will have

Welcome to the final day of the second round of Ranji Trophy