Hyderabad fight back but Chhattisgarh set 259-run target in Ranji Trophy clash

Hyderabad: It was a day of fightbacks, but Chhattisgarh were on top at the close of play on the third day, having left the home team in a spot of bother at 13 for two while chasing 259 for an outright win in the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group B league match at Gymkhana Ground here on Wednesday.

In the fourth over of the morning, Chhattisgarh off-spinner Jayant Yadav trapped Tanay Thyagarajan lbw to help his team secure a slender but vital first-innings lead of four runs.

Then, in the second innings, Chhattisgarh were struggling at 47 for three before Mayank Verma (81, 111b, 8×4, 1×6) and Sanjeet Desai put on a fighting 115-run stand for the fourth wicket. The duo adopted a disciplined approach, with Verma being more compact and coming up with pleasing strokes. He played the sweep shot particularly effectively to counter the spinners.

Hyderabad then came back strongly, leaving the opposition in dire straits at 199 for nine in 57.4 overs. It was evident that Chhattisgarh’s lower order had come a cropper against a spirited bowling attack as the team slumped from 161 for three to 199 for nine before the last-wicket pair came up with a wonderful rescue act.

However, much to the dismay of the home team, Dev Aditya Singh (17 not out, 33b) and last man Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (38, 37b, 5×4, 1×6) defied the bowlers in a spirited 55-run stand for the last wicket. Their effort put the home team on the defensive before Chhattisgarh were dismissed for 254. This partnership could well turn out to be the game-changer.

For Hyderabad, pacer Rakshann Readdi (3/45) and left-arm spinner Anikethreddy (3/68), who bowled a post-tea spell of 4-0-21-2, were impressive, while off-spinner Ruthik Mende picked up two wickets, including that of Jadeja, to signal the end of Chhattisgarh’s resistance.

With the odd ball keeping very low at both ends, the batters certainly faced some testing times.

The scores: Chhattisgarh 284 in 90.1 overs and 254 in 68.4 overs (Mayank Verma 81, Sanjeet Desai 51, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 38, Rakshann Readdi 3/45, Anikethreddy 3/68, Ruthik Mende 2/35) vs Hyderabad 280 in 96.1 overs and 13/2 in 4.5 overs.