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Live Blog - The race to the Ranji Trophy knockouts
Wickets continue to tumble in Rajkot
Brain fade for Abhimanyu Easwaran
A century was there for the taking. Our reporter, Rajan Raj, says it was a flawless innings up until then, before something truly bizarre happened.
The incident unfolded on the final ball of the 41st over, just prior to drinks. As the ball was hit back to the bowler, Aditya Kumar, gently, Easwaran left the crease and began walking to have a sip of water.
It was truly a brain fade moment because the ball wasn't dead, and the bowler allowed it to brush his fingers and deflect it back onto the stumps.
Even the bowler was unaware that the non-striker had stepped out of his crease. It was only after the ball struck the stumps that he noticed the batter was well out. An appeal followed, leading the on-field umpire to refer the decision to the third umpire, who eventually ruled him out.
Bengal 174/2 v Services
Brar finishes with six-for
It's Harpreet Brar's maiden first-class five-for in his third game.
Saurashtra have been bundled out for 172 inside two sessions. Shubman Gill will be out to bat very soon.
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Harpreet Brar has Saurashtra in a pickle
Harpreet Brar has been a familiar presence on the domestic circuit for nearly a decade, yet this is only his third first-class appearance.
On a rank turner at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, he has now left Saurashtra reeling, picking up four wickets to reduce them to 157 for 8. Jay Gohil, unbeaten on 78, is fighting a lone battle to keep the innings afloat.
With both teams in a must-win clash to stay in contention for the knockouts, the stakes could hardly be higher.
Mumbai stumble after solid start
From 60/0, Hyderabad have reduced Mumbai to 86/3 at Uppal.
Siraj among wickets with the dismissal of the set Akash Anand for 35.
Sarfaraz Khan has come out to bat at No. 5, to join Siddesh Lad.
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Siraj wicketless; Jadeja falls for 7
Bengal openers Abhimanyu Easwaran & Sudip Chatterjee in a half-century stand against Services in Kalyani.
Siraj's first spell reads 6-2-12-0, but Mumbai have gotten off to a solid start. They're 40 for 0, with Herwadkar and Akash Anand at the crease
Ravindra Jadeja out for 7 as Saurashtra looking wobbly at 100 for 4 against Punjab in Rajkot.
Vijay Hazare champs Vidarbha rocked early. Andhra's K Satyanarayana Raju, who played for Mumbai Indians last year, hs picked up each of the four wickets to fall. They're 45/4.
PS: Scorecards will be updated at the end of every session, or periodically.
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A glorious landmark: Anustup Majumdar
He's just shy of turning 42, but Bengal's evergreen fighter Anustup Majumdar is playing his 100th first-class match. Earlier in the season, he went past 100 List A matches.
He played arguably one of the greatest knocks in the Ranji Trophy in the last 10 years when he made 149 on an Eden Gardens green top against Karnataka in the semi-final to help Bengal set up a finale with Saurashtra.
You can relive that knock here. Our correspondent Varun Shetty witnessed it first-hand.
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Siraj makes captaincy debut
It's also his first Ranji outing of the season for Hyderabad, who have elected to bowl first against Mumbai.
I'm told they're playing on a greenish looking surface with Hyderabad having to win both their remaining matches to make a pitch for the quarterfinals. Mumbai, meanwhile, currently top the group with Jammu & Kashmir a close second.
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'Don't be surprised if Gill is back after T20 WC'
That's the view of former Australia captain Michael Clarke. Agree?
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Gill v Jadeja
Shubman Gill and Ravindra Jadeja headline a high-stakes clash as Punjab take on Saurashtra in Rajkot.
Saurashtra, currently fourth in Group B, need wins in both their remaining matches to keep their qualification hopes alive. Punjab, placed sixth and two points behind their opponents, are in a similar bind — realistically needing two wins, ideally with bonus points.
By the end of this round, only one of these teams is likely to remain in the qualification race — unless a high-scoring draw eliminates both. That, however, appears unlikely, with a rank turner expected to greet the teams.
Saurashtra have won the toss and chosen to bat. They are 12 without loss.
The Ranji Trophy is back!
After a two-month pause for the white-ball leg of the domestic season — during which Jharkhand lifted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vidarbha claimed the Vijay Hazare Trophy — the focus shifts back to the pinnacle of India’s red-ball cricket. The Ranji Trophy returns as the tournament heads into its decisive final stages, with Round Six set to resume the battle for supremacy.
Where does the tournament stand, who are the big stars in action, which teams are placed well and which ones are not, and everything else you need to know.
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