Jaydev Unadkat’s 100th first-class match got off to a good start on Tuesday as Saurashtra struggled for wickets against Andhra Pradesh in the sixth round of the Ranji Trophy at the Saurastra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. I couldn’t cut it.
But breakthroughs in his last hour from skipper Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya helped the hosts fight back. Andhra he was 256 for 5 in Stumps.
Saurastra’s slow start is not due to a lack of effort by Unadkat and his bowlers. Andhra Starters C.R. Gnaneshwar and Abhishek Reddy negotiated starting times with a formidable defense after captain Hanuma Vihari chose to strike first on a hard surface. Unadkat’s first ban (5-2-7-0) was a display of signature seam bowling when Gnaneshwar countered a pacer with his left arm and gave wicketkeeper Harvik Desai a delivery lengthwise. Moriya, on the other hand, chose a shorter pitch to test hitters. Abhishek, the more aggressive of the two, opened the scoring with a backfoot square cut 4 in four overs. The runs did not erupt smoothly on the chilly morning with no momentum as the bowlers continued to test the line.
However, the pair weren’t able to pull off a perfect session as left-arm spinner Darmendrasingh Jadeja ran into the bat of the ranch on back-to-back overs. A quick delivery of the length missed a shot from Abhishek to Samarsbias on the front short leg. Gnaneshwar’s housekeeping ended when another delivery slipped off the strip and caught him in his 34.
The traditional synchronized applause of Saurashtra’s fielders disappeared in the second session when Ricky Bhui took off on five fours. No. 3 Vihari (38) was content with the waiting game, but Jadeja finally sneaked past an attempted cut to break his 70-run stand.
Bhui remained united with Ashwin Heber after a rejuvenated Unadkat sacked 31-year-old Karan Shinde. But Bhui’s premature wicket ruined an otherwise fruitful day for Andhra.