Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Nagwaswalla, Gaja spoil Andhra’s party on Day 1, helps Gujarat to 289/8

On a day when multiple Gujarat batters gave in to impulse, Gaja paired with Nagwaswalla to put up a patient 86 runs for the ninth wicket, refusing Andhra to end the first innings on the opening day.

Gujarat’s captain Chintan Gaja played the role of an anchor expertly, scoring 38 off 88 balls with on just one boundary as Nagwaswalla hit eight fours and one six in his 72-ball-59. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji / The Hindu

A defiant rearguard stand between captain Chintan Gaja and Arzan Nagwaswalla (57 batting, 72b, 8x4, 6x1) prevented Andhra from tightening the noose on Gujarat on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match at the Narendra Modi Stadium ground ‘B’ in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat, which had won the toss and opted to bat, was spared the blushes, courtesy of the unbeaten 86-run ninth-wicket association between the pair that took it to 289 for eight at Stumps.

Nagwaswalla reached his second First-Class fifty off just 62 deliveries with a slog sweep against Lalith Mohan. But the highlight of his vibrant essay was reserved for V.S. Raju who he picked over long on in the closing minutes of the day.

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On a day when multiple Gujarat batters were guilty of giving in to impulse and wasting their starts, Gaja put up a clinic in restraint with his 88-ball 38 which relied on just one boundary.

Manan Hingrajia (48, 116b, 5x4, 1x6) and Urvil Patel (48, 53b, 4x4, 3x6) showed promise earlier in the innings but were left to rue a rush of blood to their heads.

Hingrajia used a reprieve on 25 when his sweep off Tripurana Vijay burst through the hands of Nitish Kumar Reddy at mid-wicket. In the second session, the left-handed batter was intent on wearing down the Andhra bowlers with his defence. Raju’s probing bouncers did little to throw him off his tracks as Gujarat added just 10 runs in the first 10 overs after Lunch.

The toil, however, bore little reward as Hingrajia’s resolve collapsed when he was pouched by K.S. Bharat behind the stumps, poking at a wide delivery outside off from Nitish.

Urvil’s flamboyance arrived in time to pull Gujarat out of the shell it had retreated into. His first incursion came against Vijay, who was hammered down the ground for 10 runs off consecutive deliveries. He paid little heed to Andhra’s field setting as was evident from his ramp shot against Nitish that took on the fine leg fielder and earned him six runs.

K.V. Sasikanth’s attempted bouncer to Urvil was pummelled over the square leg fence and landed outside the ground. Taking a leaf out of Urvil’s book, Jaymeet Patel pocketed his first boundary off his 61st delivery with a cover drive off Vijay.

But Urvil’s premeditated pull proved fatal against Lalith’s back-of-length delivery and failed to clear mid-wicket. The left-arm orthodox bowler cleaned up Siddharth Desai and Ravi Bishnoi, and was threatening to run through the tail before Gaja and Nagwaswalla averted the slide.

In the morning session, Priyank Panchal and Rishi Patel added 48 runs for the first wicket before the latter was ambushed by a bouncer from Raju. Rishi looked in control through his 42-ball stay but threw it away when he was strangled down leg against Sasikanth.