Buchi Babu tournament: Siddharth Desai’s six-for helps Gujarat bowl out TNCA President’s XI for 211, take 160-run lead

Siddharth picked up six wickets with close-in fielders from around the wicket on a pitch that seemed to offer turn and, remarkably, sharp bounce.

Siddharth Desai picked up six wickets with close-in fielders from around the wicket on a pitch that seemed to offer turn and, remarkably, sharp bounce. | Photo Credit: LAKSHMI NARAYANAN E / THE HINDU

Left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai picked up six for 61 to help Gujarat bowl out TNCA President’s XI for 211 and secure a first innings lead of 160 runs on day two of the Group-B match in the third round of the Buchi Babu tournament at the Salem Cricket Foundation (SCF) ground here on Wednesday.

Siddharth picked up six wickets with close-in fielders from around the wicket on a pitch that seemed to offer turn and, remarkably, sharp bounce.

He had a delivery slightly spin and sharply spring off the surface as Radhakrishnan (19) nicked off to the keeper off the last ball before lunch. The 24-year-old had A. Badrinath (2) bowled through the gate with the arm-ball, and K.T.A. Madhava Prasad (27) cleaned up with a delivery that pitched on middle-and-off and turned just enough to hit the top of off-stump.

Bowling from over the wicket to left-hander Rithik Easwaran (11), he had the batter charge at him and flick it straight to Umang Rohitkumar at short midwicket. He also had Mohamed Ali (56, 77b, 6x4, 2x6) from over the wicket to get to his five-wicket haul - the batter, trying to loft the ball down the ground, ended up dragging himself out of the crease to be stumped.

M. Mohammed (3) gloved to be caught by Priyank Panchal at slip off Siddharth.

TNCA got to the total it did, courtesy of Ali and Andre Siddarth (55 n.o., 62b, 8x4, 1x6).

Coming in at 33 for three, Ali counter-attacked. He began his boundary count with two sixes, twice charging at Siddharth to send the ball soaring over the long on boundary in the same over.

He opened the bat face on his square drive for a four behind square and sneaked a straight drive past the bowler for a four in the same over off medium-pacer Aditya Patel to bring up his fifty off 54 balls.

Ali added 79 runs for the fourth-wicket partnership with Madhava Prasad.

Opener Vimal Khumar (10) had an unfortunate dismissal. He was hit on the back arm as he missed pulling a sharp bouncer off pacer Dhrushant Soni - the ball pitched on a rough patch close to the leg-side return crease and spun back on to his stumps.

Batting again, Gujarat got to six for two to end the day on a 166-run lead.

The scores (round three, day two):

Gujarat 371 in 109.4 overs (Kshitij Patel 62, Jaymeet Patel 144, Dhrushant Soni 44, M. Siddharth 6/76) & 6/2 in 4 overs vs. TNCA President’s XI 211 in 61.4 overs (S. Mohamed Ali 56, C. Andre Siddarth 55 n.o., Siddharth Desai 6/61)