Ranji Trophy: Mohammed Siraj, Prithvi Shaw shine, KL Rahul fails to make big score
Shimoga: Mohammed Siraj celebrated his India call-up with a four wicket haul as Hyderabad dismissed Karnataka for 183 on the first day of a Ranji Trophy group A encounter on Tuesday. At stumps, Hyderabad were 51 for 3 with Kolla Sumanth unbeaten on 34.
Siraj grabbed 4 for 42 in 15 overs as India international KL Rahul was castled by medium pacer Ravi Kiran for 4 runs. He looked rusty during his 27-ball stay at the crease. Hosts Karnataka after a good batting show in the previous game faltered badly with only Stuart Binny's 61 off 88 balls adding some semblance of respectability to the total.
Karnataka were reduced to 89 for 6 at one stage but added 56 runs with Krishnappa Gowtham (13) as they managed to get close to 150-run mark. Siraj hit the deck hard and got the deliveries to jag back into right-handers after pitching.
He removed his India A teammate Ravikumar Samarth (19) and also breached through the defences of IPL specialist Mayank Agarwal (0), whose questionable technique was again exposed thoroughly. Siraj also removed the dangerous looking Binny in his second spell along with Gowtham.
Prithvi Shaw continues to shine
Young opener Prithvi Shaw underlined his class with a century against a quality Tamil Nadu attack to lead Mumbai to 314 for 7 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Group C match here today. Electing to bat after winning the toss, Mumbai suffered an early setback when comeback man V Yo Mahesh got Akhil Herwadkar in his first over.
The opener was trapped leg-before for a duck. Shaw and Shreyas Iyer, who has been picked in the India T20 team to face New Zealand, were in an aggressive frame of mind and attacked the Tamil Nadu bowlers. In a quick start despite the loss of Herwadkar, the 50 came in the eighth over.
They raised the team’s 100 in the 20th over as Iyer rattled along striking some beautiful shots in the process. He raised his half-century at run-a-ball. Shaw appeared subdued but played some splendid shots too as the Tamil Nadu bowlers struggled to contain the free-stroking Mumbai batsmen.
Iyer fell at 106 after a fluent knock of 57 which included seven fours and two sixers. He edged a delivery from Vijay Shankar to keeper N Jagadeesan. The Mumbai batsmen continued to look for runs and Surya Kumar Yadav added 63 runs with Shaw in just over 11 overs to keep the momentum.
Shaw, who was 76 at the lunch break, only required another 26 balls to reach his century and continued to push the Mumbai score along. The young right-hander hit 17 fours and two sixes before falling for 123 to R Ashwin. The country’s premier off-spinner had previously got rid of the aggressive Siddesh Lad.
Mumbai skipper Aditya Tare scored an important half-century to further the team’s cause and added 63 runs with the experienced Abhishek Nayar, before Vijay Shankar provided TN the much-needed breakthrough.
The all-rounder provided another wicket for Tamil Nadu by sending back Vijay Gohil in the final over of the day as Mumbai finished at 314 for 7. It was another hard dayfor Ashwin as he bowled 29 overs for 77 in picking up two wickets while Yo Mahesh also scalped two Mumbai batsmen. Left-arm spinner Rahil S Shah went for 82 runs in his 25 overs while young all-rounder M S Washington Sundar bowled only four overs.
