Ranji Trophy 2012-13, Round II, Day 3
That's a wrap on the third day
That's a wrap on the third day. A day that outdid day two in terms of centuries brought up by 13 to 12. Thankfully three declarations made towards the end of the day - by Himachal, Punjab and Baroda - salvaged the day a little. As a feedbacker pointed out looking at the Pune game, forget outright wins, we need to devise a way to make teams go for at least the first-innings lead. One potential classic at Keenan Stadium keeps me going. Hopefully the three teams that made declarations will go hard for wins tomorrow. We will be there to bring all that and more. Cheers
"I believe Karnataka scored only 239/3 instead of your post mentioning 293/3. They need another 300 runs from 90 overs after they have scored only 239/3 in 100 overs. But If karnataka still bats at the end of 90th over tomorrow and have some wickets in hands, whom you would blame?" Thanks for pointing that out, Senthil. I have made the correction. I don't know whom to blame, though
5.12pm - Yet another hundred In Goa, Swapnil Asnodkar made it 13 hundreds for the day, taking Goa to 239 for 2, 100 adrift of first-innings points
5.10pm - Three points for Andhra Andhra took the first-innings lead against Tripura but showed no further urgency to declare. They scored 436 to take their lead to 176, but did so at a run rate of 2.43 an over. this match is over for all practical purposes
5.07pm - Himachal get two Himachal's bowlers are ready for another hard day's work after Paras Dogra's double-century set up a declaration. In the 15 overs before stumps, allrounder Rishabh Dhawan picked up two wickets. Services need 186 to make Himachal bat again
5.05pm - Win in sight for Delhi Delhi had to work hard today, but their perseverance has got them six wickets by stumps. Narwal has three, Suyal two and Awana one. Odisha are effectively only 41 for 6, with Natraj Behera - 35 not out - their last hope
5.03pm - Baroda in with a chance for an outright win Yusuf Pathan's burst of 78 off 36 allowed Baroda to declare just before stumps, and they have taken a second-innings wicket too. Vidarbha need 247 to avoid an innings defeat
5pm - Yet another Group A run orgy Rohit Sharma has missed out on a century, but all of Mumbai's top four have scored at least 53. Hiken Shah remains unbeaten on 118, and Mumbai are 360 for 3 at stumps, needing another 119 for three points
4.55pm - Runathon in Surat too Saurashtra have reached 323 for 2 by stumps against Gujarat. Both Sagar Jogiyani and Ravindra Jadeja have scored unbeaten hundreds, and they now need another 278 to take three points form this game
4.50pm - Now a sad commentary on spin Another embarrassment in Chennai. On a square turner, only seven wickets have fallen in three days. Only one of the batsmen dismissed has scored under 50. L Siva has been watching this match from the commentary box, and didn't sound very impressed. Karnataka 239 for 3, and need 300 more to take three points from this match
4.45pm - Kedar Jadhav takes a wicket now Maharashtra finally get a wicket. Kedar Jadhav it is who provides the breakthrough, getting Mukul Dagar for 126. UP 287 for 1 at stumps. This match is an embarrassment for Indian first-class cricket. There is no way UP are going to get to Maharashtra's 760-plus score. Nor is there a way they are going to lose 19 wickets tomorrow. Yet, both the sides will get a point each. What a pointless exercise. Hopefully the host association will be penalised for the pitch prepared.
4.40pm - Saxena, Bundela make MP favourites He salvaged one point in the last game, and now with captain Devendra Bundela, Jalaj Saxena has brought MP close to first-innings points. Bundela is 106 not out, and Saxena 61. MP 265 for 5 now, needed just 74 to take three points. That's stumps in Hyderabad
4.35pm - Punjab's intent works Just before stumps in Mohali, Siddarth kaul have got Punjab a wicket to follow their declaration. Bengal 25 for 1. They need 228 to make Punjab bat again
4.25pm - Hundred for Jadeja too Ravindra Jadeja makes it 12 hundreds for the day as Saurashtra reach 301 for 2, chasing 601 for the first-innings points
4.20pm - Stumps in Jamshedpur The match of this round, between Jharkhand and Assam, hangs in balance with Kharkhand 56 for 2 chasing 213. Rameez Nemat, who scored a fifty in the first innings, and Saurabh Tiwary are at the wicket
4.15pm - Delhi a step closer Parvinder Awana gets Orissa's fifth wicket and they are only 21 ahead. Natraj Behera unbeaten on 21
4.12pm - Bahutule gets Yusuf Sairaj Bahutule gets rid of Yusuf Pathan for 78 off 36. Baroda 484 for 6 now
4.10pm - Punjab declare too Punjab declare for the second time in a row. Uday Kaul unbeaten on his career-best 165. Bengal need 253 to make them bat again
4.02pm - Yusuf Pathan shows how it is done With quick runs and a declaration the need of the hour, other Baroda batsmen scratched around, but captain Yusuf Pathan has come out and blasted 74 off 30, hitting six fours and five sixes. Baroda 476 for 5, a lead of 212
3.56pm - Yet another hundred Hiken Shah reaches one in Jaipur. That's the 11th century of the day. With Jadeja, Asnodkar and Rohit not too far away. This is the ugly side of Ranji Trophy folks. Twelve centuries scored yesterday, 11 already today. Only two matches promising outright results as of now. A few teams are pushing for a win still, some others have given up are having batting practice in the middle
3.55pm - Breakthrough for Delhi Delhi get another wicket on a day they have been made to work hard. It's Suyal who gets Samantray. Odisha effectively 17 for 4
3.46pm - Himachal ask Services to bat again After having done so in vain in the first match, Himachal ar epushing for an outright win yet again. They have scored quickly today, taken a lead of 232, and have declared their innings closed at 544 for 6. Services 8 for 0 in their attempt to salvage one point here
3.45pm - Nemat, Tiwary hanging in Last innings' half-centurion Rameez Nemat and Saurabh Tiwary have not batted together for 12.3 overs for 20 runs. Jharkhand 39 for 2 in a tense chase of 213. So much spin has been emplyed here that we are almost through the day's requirement of overs, but have 45 minutes left. Play will go on till 4.30pm
3.40pm - Yet another hundred Saurashtra's Sagar Jogiyani reaches it now. They are 270 for 2, responding strongly to Gujarat's 600. Ravindra Jadeja is not too far off the hundred either
3.21pm - Dagar does two in two too Mukul Dagar gets his second century of the season as UP reach 196 for no loss in Pune. He, Dogra and Jiwanjot now have two centuries each in as many matches
Also, Tanmay Srivastava pushes Chirag Khurana through point and the takes him to his seventh first-class century. UP 208 for 0
3.20pm - Dogra out for 210 Paras Dogra has been dismissed for his career-best score, and Himachal continue batting. At 534 for 5, they now lead 222
3.14pm - Delhi will bat again Odisha have reached 189 for 3 in Delhi. That means they are now ahead by one run. Samantray and Natraj Behera at the wicket
3.12pm - Bundela carries MP Down in Hyderabad, Devendra Bundela has reached hundred too. MP need 112 for three points, have five wickets in hand
3.10pm - Rohit gets fifty too All four Mumbai batsmen that have batted have crossed fifty in Jaipur. Mumbai 270 for 2. Need another 209 for three points
3.05m - Pandey bucks the trend Manish Pandey has just become the first batsman in the Chennai game to get out for fewer than 50 runs. Plays for an offbreak, the natural variation from the pitch takes it straight through, and the outside edge is taken. Pandey gone for 6. Malolan Rangarajan gets the wicket. Karnataka 184 for 3 now
3pm - Now on to the real contest At Keenan Stadium, they took tea as soon as Assam's innings ended. Defending 212, Assam have already taken two Jharkhand wickets. Tajinder Singh, who scored a vital fifty with the tail, has run out opener Manish Vardhan. Ishank Jaggi is gone too. It's down to Saurabh Tiwary for Jharkhand
Tea elsewhere In Nadaun, Paras Dogra has reached a double-hundred, emulating Jiwanjot's record of a double and a century so far. Himachal have raced to 502 for 4, and we could see a declaration in the next session. First on agenda will be Dogra's personal best, which he is three short of
In Delhi, Odisha have all but wiped out the deficit. They are now 182 for 3, six short of making Delhi bat again
In Anantapur, Andhra have taken the lead and are 367 for 5 against Tripura
In Vadodara, Baroda are 339 for 3, and they seem to have made their minds up on a draw. Rayudu is 13 off 64 and Solanki 110 off 285 when they should ideally be pushing for a declaration
In Hyderabad, Devendra Bundela has stalled Hyderabad again, and is unbeaten on 96. MP 212 for 5. All set for an exciting finish on first-innings lead. MP need 130 more
In Surat, bowlers continue to resemble the desert dust. Saurashtra 221 for 2 replying to Gujarat's 600 for 9 declared. Sagar Jogiyani 88 not out, Ravindra Jadeja 53
In Pune, batsmen continue to make merry. UP 177 for no loss at tea. Dagar (94) and Srivastava (81) look set for big knocks, says Amol karhadkar.
In Jaipur, the fifty-fest continues. Three of Mumbai batsmen have reached fifties, Rohit Sharma is 47 not out. Mumbai 258 for 2. Need another 221 for three points
in Chennai, just the six wickets have fallen in five sessions. No one has got out for less than 50. Karnataka 183 for 2
2.30pm - Tea in Mohali Punjab are 473 for 3, ahead by 147, with 26 overs to go. I think Bengal will have to bat for a few tricky overs before stumps today
2.25pm - Wickets in Anantapur Andhra have lost three quick wickets, including the centurion Hemal Watekar, but it is unlikely to change things much. Andhra have a 76-run lead with five wickets in hand, and it will take nothing short of dramatic for us to get an outright result here
2.16pm - Part-time big time Abhinav Mukund is called upon to bowl in Chennai, and strikes with the eighth ball he bowls. A full toss that too. And KB Pawan just hangs it up in the air for mid-on to take a sitter. Pawan goes for 69. No batsman has got out for less than 50 in this match
2.15pm - Rassol strikes for J&K Parvez rassol finally get J&K their first wicket. Goa lose Amogh Desai for 85, but Swapnil Ansodkar is not out on 88. Goa 185 for 1
2.10pm - Crowd trouble in Pune Will you believe it? This is what Amol Karhadkar reports: "A bit of action in the stands at Gahunje. Sections of a vocal Sunday crowd started getting abusive towards some visiting players. The MCA swung into action and asked them to leave. Sanity has been restored and rather than taking digs at players, the spectators - most of whom have stayed back - are watching cricket now."
2.07pm - Mumbai's strong response Hiken Shah becomes the third Mumbai batsman to reach fifty, and Rohit Sharma seems to be on the way too. Mumbai 227 for 2 in response to Rajasthan's 478
2.05pm - Uday Kaul's hundred Uday Kaul has become the third Punjab batsman to score a hundred as they race to 453 for 5. They are going at a decent pace, lead by 127, and will surely look to declare at some time
2pm - Another hundred for Baroda Rakesh Solanki scores the second century for Baroda as they reach 325 for 3. Ambati Rayudu is 7 off 39. The scoring rate of 2.57 doesn;t suggest they are pushing for an outright win
1.53pm - Assam bowled out Jharkhand finally get the final wicket. Tajinder stays unbeaten on 53. Jharkhand chasing 213 now. This is a close one
1.52pm - Aparijith drops one In a high-scoring match, you want to hold on to every chance that comes your way, but Baba Aparajith has just dropped Karnataka opener KB Pawan on 61. Karnataka 154 for 1
1.50pm - Narwal breaks through for Delhi Sumit Narwal, who also scored 66 with the bat, has broken the 84-run third-wicket stand by bowling Govind Podder, who was 15 short of a hundred. Odisha 143 for 3, still 35 short of making Delhi bat again
1.47pm - Hyderabad strike again Devendra Bundela runs the risk of running out of partners in Hyderabad. They are now 167 for 5, chasing 342 for a lead
1.45pm - Saurashtra hang in Sagar Jogiyani is 63 not out, and Saurashtra have reached 172 for 2 in Surat. Still a long way to go for them after they conceded 600
1.40pm - Assam's last wicket bats on The last-wicket partnership at Keenan Stadium now reads 29. Assam now lead by 210. A vital fifty for Tajinder Singh
1.35pm - Flatness in Pune Says Amol Karhadkar: "Maharashtra spinners Akshay Darekar and Chirag Khurana posing little problems for an all left-handers' UP opening combo. UP 120 for no loss, with Mukul Dagar on 62 and Tanmay Srivastava on 56"
1.30pm - Rohit Sharma in in Jaipur Rohit Sharma and Hiken Shah have added 40 for the third wicket. Mumbai 206 for 2. Shah on 43
1.25pm - Partnership in Delhi too Govind Podder and Biplab Samantray are getting close to make Delhi bat again. Traling by 188, Odisha are now 134 for 2. Podder on 78
1.20pm - More vital runs for Assam Assam have found another late partnership. Another 16 for the last wicket. They are now 192 for 9 - lead of 197. Already made sure that Jharkhand will have to score the biggest total of this match if they are to win. Tajinder Singh, 40 not out, playing a big hand
1.01pm - One more wicket in Jamshedpur At Keenan, Assam are now 176 for 9, a total lead of 181. Eight wickets have fallen to spin, one is a run-out. We are all set for a thrilling finish there
1pm - Watekar gets his Andhra's Hemal Watekar, who was 94 at lunch, has reached his century, and Andhra have also just taken the lead. That's three points in the bag
12.47pm - Chauhan gets his ton Abhimanyu Chauhan, who went 99 not out into the lunch, duly gets his century. Baroda in lead already, with eight wickets in hand
12.45pm - Assam get vital runs Tajinder Singh and Abu Nechim add 33 for the eight wicket. Gupta gets Nechim, but Assam are now 168 for 8. That's a lead of 173
Noon - Lunch In Jamshedpur, in the match of the round, Assam are 133 for 7. That leaves them 138 ahead in the third innings
At Kotla, Govind Podder has taken Odisha to 119 for 2, 69 short of making Delhi bat again
In Vadodara, Abhimanu Chauhan won't enjoy the lunch as much as others. He is unbeaten on 99. Baroda 275 for 2, three points in their bag
In Jaipur, Aditya Tare has got out for 80 just before lunch. Mumbai 166 for 2. Rohit Sharma is in
In Hyderabad, the hosts have broken through just before lunch, sending back Birla. MP 145 for 4
In Chennai, Karnataka are 103 for 1. That's just five wickets in seven sessions on a square turner. Make what you will of the spin cupboard in India
In Pune, Tanmay Srivastava whacks the last ball before lunch for a boundary through covers. UP 79 for no loss at lunch
In Surat, Suarashtra have lost their openers, They are 129 for 2 in response to Gujarat's 600
In Anantapur, Watekar has gone into lunch at 94 not out. Andhra 245 for 2, 16 short of first-innings lead
In Nadaun, Himachal are building their lead at a good pace. They are 385 for 3 now, and Dogra is unbeaten on 125
In Goa, no wicket has fallen, and Desai and Asnodkar are eyeing centuries. Goa 157 for no loss.
11.51am - End of an era in Mohali The press must be stopped. Jiwanjot Singh is finally out. To part-time legspin of Manoj Tiwary. For 158. His average now is only 185.5. Punjab 337 for 4, leading by 10. That's also lunch
11.50am - Wicket in Anantapur too After putting on 237 for the first wicket, Prasanth Kumar is run out by a substitute fielder. Prasanth scored 119. Watekar unbeaten on 89. Andhra 24 short of a first-innings lead
11.45am - Wicket in Chennai Robin Uthappa, on his 27th birthday, scored a fifty but falls immediately after, playing back and a cross to a length-ball offbreak that doesn't turn as much as expected. Karnataka 94 for 1 now
11.40am- Dogra keeps doing it Himachal's Paras Dogra has followed Jiwanjot into scoring two centuries this season. Himchal going strong at 358 for 3, and their scoring rate suggests they might go for an outright win. They have ensured three points already
11.35am - Odisha put up resistance Govind Podder reaches a half-century to keep Delhi working hard. Odisha are now 100 for 2, needing another 88 to make the hosts bat again
11.30am - Amol Karadkar from a runway in Pune After getting their eye in, up openers start scoring freely. And there goes a chance. Domnic Joseph manages a nick off Mukul Dagar but neither keeper Motwani nor Khadiwale at first slip goes for the catch. UP 43 for no loss
11.25am - Jiwanjot keeps on burning bright I am sure Ranji bowlers are thinking of a calypso for Jiwanjot Singh right now. Something to match this effort. Jiwanjot Singh has now reached 156 not out, taking his average to 369. Punjab are now 327 for 3, which gives them the first-innings lead over Bengal
11.20am - More fun at Keenan Another wicket for Shahbaz Nadee. Assam now 124 for 7 effectively. This match is turning out to be a beaut.
"Just one more question, would you know how good the umpiring has been in various venues? I am surprised to see Sanjay Hazare (who had stood in international matches if I am not wrong) working as TV umpire in the Chennai game. You'd think that's a wasted posting for an experienced official."
Vivek, I saw some isolated instances of atrocious officiating in Kolkata last week, but apart from that I haven't heard many complaints
11.15am - No wicket in Goa yet Amogh Desai, who took four wickets, and Swapnil Asnodkar have both reached fifties and have added an unbeaten 119 for the first wicket. J&K scored 338
11.10am - First century of the day Prasanth Kumar of Andhra has reached 117, with fellow opener unbeaten on 87. They are well on their way to three points. At 223 for 0, they need another 38
11.05am - Karnataka solid in Chennai Close to seven sessions gone, and we have seen only four wickets fall on a square turner. That's sad commentary on the spin talent in India. Karnataka 71 for 0 after 30.3 overs
11.01am - Two more at Keenan Now captain Shahbaz Nadeem takes a wicket and a run-out. Assam have lost their last four wickets for 26. Now 126 for 6 effectively. This is some match
11am - Delhi get another Narwal and Suyal have taken a wicket each at Kotla to reduce Odisha to 63 for 2. They still need 118 to make Delhi bat again
10.55am - Rajasthan get a wicket Finally a wicket in Japiur. Only the 11th after 197.3 overs. Kaustubh Pawar gone for 53. Mumbai 137 for 1 responding to Rajasthan's 478
10.50am - Jiwanjot reaches six-and-a-half hours I don't foresee Jiwanjot Singh getting out at all. Not at all. After 391 minutes at the wicket, he is 124 not out. His career average right now is 337. Punjab are 273 for 3. They need another 54 to ensure three points
10.45am - UP cautious against Maharashtra After having been in the field for more than two days, UP have reached 11 for no loss in seven overs. And, contrary to what I mentioned earlier, according to new regulations these teams will get a point each even if UP's first innings is not completed by stumps tomorrow. That's not a smart change to the rules
10.40am - Jamshedpur refuses to be tamed A double strike from Sunny Gupta has brought the Jamshedpur game in balance again. Both the set batsmen - Sinha and Zhimomi - are gone, and Assam are now effectively 119 for 4
"Would you have recent records for Dinesh Karthik and Parthiv Patel in domestic cricket. In almost every game they play, they seem to score a lot. If they weren't known as wicket-keepers, would they have a better chance of playing for India again?"
Vivek, Parthiv had two bumper seasons in 2008-09 and 2009-10, crossing 800 runs on both occasions. Since then, though, he has averaged 31 and 54, but is back to scoring big this season. Karthik's last three seaons have brought him 776, 246 and 688 runs
Baroda solid against Vidarbha Baroda have added 22 this morning without any further loss, but they have taken 15.4 overs doing so. At 214 for 4, the way I see it, they are anyway assured three first-innings points. Why not score fast and go for an outright win?
10.25am - MP stall Hyderabad Hyderabad took three early wickets on the second evening, but MP's fourth-wicket stand between captain Dvendra Bundela and Udit Birla is now worth 40. MP 75 for 3 against Hyderabad's 341
10.20am - First-innings affair in Jaipur too Mumbai have reached 100 for no loss in Jaipur, with Aditya Tare bringing up his half-century. This one is headed for a first-innings result too, unless Rajasthan can bowl Mumbai out for 328 or fewer to enforce a follow-on
"First question is what is the attendance like for this round of games? Second - any idea what Maharashtra have planned? If they score 800 not sure how they can even lose on first innings. Why are teams still not sporting - whats the point of batting so much?"
Nadeem, first of all attendances aren't encouraging at all. I have even heard Hyderabad is not even letting spectators in. To your second question, I know Maharashtra's attitude hasn't been spectator-friendly, but how many of us are following Ranji? About 500 people in all perhaps. But I can see their logic. They know the pitch is a highway, they know they can't take 20 wickets, possibly they feel the only way they can get wickets is through scoreboard pressure. However, it will be embarrassing for both the team and the curator if UP's first innings doesn't end by stumps tomorrow. In that case, neither of the teams will get a point
10.05am - Finally declaration Stop the press. Maharashtra have finally declared at 764 for 6. This is their third-highest total of all time. This means UP have to score 765 runs off 169 overs to gain three points
10am - Karnataka watchful in Chennai Fast bowlers bowling with no catching men behind the wicket. Spinners not quite good enough to make the most of a square turner. Depressing scenes in Chennai. On his 27th birthday, Robin Uthappa, who seems to have promised himself to be tighter in his technique this season, is 24 of 60. Karnataka 39 for 0 after 17 overs
9.55am - Himachal on their way Services have got an early wicket on third morning, but chasing 313 for three points, Himachal are 269 for 3. Paras Dogra is looking for a second century this season. Unbeaten on 67 now. Speaking of Himachal, they now have another beautiful ground to go with Dharamsala. Look above for the picture of the Atal Behari Vajpayee Stadium in Nadaun
9.52pm - Partnership in Jamshedpur In the low-scoring game in Jamshedpur, Hokaito Zhimomi and Amit Sinha have added 53 for the third wicket. These could be crucial runs considering how the first two innings went. Assam effectively 85 for 2 now
9.50am - Delhi's push begins Delhi, looking for full points against Odisha, have got an early wicket, and Odisha need another 159 to make Delhi bat again
9.45am - Early strike in Surat too Gujarat have removed Chirag Pathak in the first few minutes of the day, and Saurashtra are now 58 for 1. They need 451 to save follow-on
9.42am - Another overnight centurion gone In Mohali, Bengal have made a good start to their day by removing Mayan Sidhana for 115 and Punjab captain Mandeep Singh for a duck. But they couldn't out Jiwanjit at all. Not at all. Punjab 253 for 3 in response to Bengal's 326
9.40am - Still no declaration Maharashtra have lost overnight centurion Motwani early in the day, but no signs of declaration there: 739 for 6
9.35am - Maharashtra keep on batting They are not satisfied with 738 for 5, and will keep on batting. Maharashtra's highest-ever score is 826, scored in the match that Bhausaheb Nimbalkar scored 443 not out. However, in that match they had already taken the first-innings lead. That match is a great story. You can read more about it here - "and a record that would have been but for a princely sulk"
9.30am Twelve centuries were brought up yesterday as batsmen more or less made merry in all but two matches. In one of those matches, at Kotla, Mithun Manhas scored the best century of the day, 161 on a pitch that no one else crossed 66. Kedar Jadhav scored a remarkable triple-century, only the 28th in Ranji Trophy history. Hoping for a more balanced day three, I welcome you to RTL
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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