Harbhajan six-for gives Punjab edge
A round-up of all the games played in Group A of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy season on October 27, 2013
ESPNcricinfo staff
27-Oct-2013
Punjab 11 for 0 trail Odisha 205 (Podder 42, Harbhajan 6 for 54) by 194 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Harbhajan Singh marked his 35th appearance in the Ranji Trophy by producing figures of 6 for 54 - his personal best in the competition- to bowl Odisha out for 205 and put Punjab into a position of strength heading into the second day in Chandigarh.
His previous best figures in the competition was back in the 1998-99 season, when Harbhajan, aged 18, picked up six wickets for just 69 runs to run through a Delhi line-up that included a 20-year-old Virender Sehwag.
A 140 from Ashu Dani had propelled Delhi to 312 on that day, as the game eventually ended in a draw, but there was no such big score on Sunday from any of Harbhajan's opponents, as Odisha were eventually bowled out in 83.2 overs.
Odisha were solid at 139 for 3, thanks to a fourth-wicket stand of 59 between Biplab Samantray and Govind Podder. The resistance ended when Samantray was caught behind for 30 by the keeper, Uday Kaul, off Harbhajan, triggering a collapse that Odisha couldn't recover from, as they lost all their remaining wickets for just 70 runs.
Podder top-scored with 42, while Abhilash Mallick contributed with 32, but Odisha's last five batsman scored just 13 runs between them, with Halhander Das, Basant Mohanty and Dhiraj Singh all departing for ducks.
Punjab were 11 for 0 at stumps, with Jiwanjot Singh and Ravi Inder Singh both at the crease.
Gujarat 153 for 3 (Smit Patel 73, Ruikar 2-30) lead Vidarbha 85 (Kalaria 5-32, Bumrah 4-30) by 68 runs
Scorecard
Scorecard
Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Rush Kalaria notched nine wickets between them as Gujarat bowled Vidarbha out for a paltry 85 in 32.4 overs to take control of the match.
Vidarbha's opener Faiz Fazal struck six fours during his 31, but five of Vidarbha's batsmen went for ducks. Kalaria finished with 5 for 32, while Bumrah conceded just 30 runs for his four wickets, as the pair ran through Vidharba's batting order in quick time.
Gujarat made further inroads in the game, as an 88-run opening-wicket stand between Smit Patel and Samit Gohel helped take them to a healthy 153 for 3 at stumps.
Smit had blasted 11 fours during his 73 but was trapped lbw by Sumit Ruikar in the 30th over.
The massive Sunday crowd in Lahli were thrilled as the home side were shot out for 134 on day one, with Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai's ranks, but were then disappointed when Tendulkar lasted just seven deliveries.
Read the full report here.
No play was possible in the clash between Jharkhand and Delhi due to a wet outfield.
