Buchi Babu Tournament: Ayush Pandey, Anuj Tiwari power Chhattisgarh to 294/3 vs TNCA XI on Day 1

A 145-run second-wicket stand between opener Ayush Pandey (82, 172b, 11x4) and Anuj Tiwari (93, 175b, 10x4, 2x6) helped Chhattisgarh get to 294 for three on day one of the Buchi Babu Tournament semifinal.

Ayush Pandey of Chhattisgarh in action against TNCA XI in All India Buchi Babu Invitation Cricket Tournament at Natham in Dindigul. | Photo Credit: KARTHIKEYAN G/The Hindu

A 145-run second-wicket stand between opener Ayush Pandey (82, 172b, 11x4) and Anuj Tiwari (93, 175b, 10x4, 2x6) helped Chhattisgarh get to 294 for three on day one of the semifinal versus TNCA XI in the Buchi Babu Memorial All India invitational cricket tournament at the NPR College cricket ground in Natham here on Monday.

Chhattisgarh batters seemed to prefer playing the sweep to the spinners.

Opener Shashank Chandrakar (10) swept the ball back-to-back from the middle-stump line for a six and a four to the square leg boundary off left-arm spinner Ajith Ram. In his next over, Ajith smartly darted in a just-outside-off delivery. Chandrakar, playing for the turn, went on the backfoot to cut the ball, which hit his back pad in line for him to be dismissed leg before wicket.

Ayush remarkably reverse-swept Ajith for a four to the third man boundary, while fellow left-hander Anuj swept Ajith and off-spinner Lakshay Jain for two fours to the square leg boundary.

Ayush began his boundary count with a front-foot on-drive for four off Ajith. He drove pacer Achyuth to the long off boundary and followed it up with a straight drive off a full toss for back-to-back fours. He played the straight drive again off Achyuth for a four off a no-ball. But when he tried to smash it straight off Ajith, the bowler took a sharp reflex catch.

Anuj carted pacer Sonu Yadav for two fours, punched Achyuth for a four, and then drove off-spinner Pradosh Ranjan Paul through covers for another four. He hit a straight six each off Paul and Lakshay. He top-edged a hoick off Lakshay, though, to be caught by Ajith at backward point.

A brief spell of rain halted play after Anuj fell. Upon resumption, new batter Prateek Yadav brought up a brisk half-century (61 not out, 67b, 7x4, 3x6) as his skipper Amandeep Khare (35b, 117b, 3x4) held the fort. The pair added 92 runs for the unbroken fourth-wicket union.

Left-hander Prateek slog-swept Lakshay for a midwicket six and charged at Ajith for a midwicket six again. He also pulled off-spinner Mokit Hariharan for a square-leg six.

In the absence of TNCA XI captain and left-arm spinner Sai Kishore, who’s in the India-B squad for the Duleep Trophy that begins on Thursday, batter Pradosh Ranjan Paul is leading the side. Batter Baba Indrajith, who’s in the India-C squad, is also missing out for TNCA.

The scores (semifinal, day one)

Chhattisgarh 294/3 in 90 overs (Ayush Pandey 82, Anuj Tiwari 93, Prateek Yadav 61 batting) vs. TNCA XI.