Ranji Trophy: Bhui's fireworks consolidate Andhra after Bhati's strikes

Andhra's Ricky Bhui scored 150 and batted well with the middle order to help Andhra post a respectable 266 for seven against Delhi.

Andhra's Ricky Bhui enroute his 150 against Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday. His 74-run stand for the fifth wicket with P. Girinath Reddy helped Andhra to a score of repute.

Ricky Bhui stifled a spirited Subodh Bhati on an intense opening day of a Ranji Trophy league match between Andhra and Delhi at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Thursday. Bhui's unbeaten 150 carried Andhra to 266 for seven even as Bhati, returning for a second spell, ended the day at five for 35 to keep Delhi in the fray.

Bhati's performance came on a pitch that surprised both the camps. “We expected a turner,” confessed Bhui. For Bhati, the surface, in any case, was not going to matter. “I don't really worry about the pitch or the conditions because I concentrate on landing the ball in uncomfortable spots for the batsmen,” said Bhati.

As it happened

Andhra, put in, was rocked early when Bhati packed off D. B. Prasanth, K. S. Bharat and N. Jyothi Saikrishna. Bhui was to refer to some indiscreet strokes from his colleagues even as he described his knock as “natural style.”

“Things opened up as I progressed but we all have to work hard to get runs. It can get frustrating sometimes but things can be better if we learn to take responsibilities. I looked to attack initial before settling down,” said Bhui.

Bhui grew in confidence in the middle after arriving at the crease in the third over. At 48 for four and 122 for five, Andhra was staring at conceding the advantage in the second session of the contest itself before Bhui and P. Girinath Reddy salvaged the situation with a 74-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Delhi's Subodh Bhati packed off Andhra's D. B. Prasanth, K. S. Bharat and N. Jyothi Saikrishna in quick succession to jolt Andhra. He ended the day with a five-wicket haul.

 

“I just did my work, I wanted to prove a point because I was wondering why I had been excluded from the first three matches. I must say Bhui batted very well even though we also bowled well collectively,” noted Bhati.

Bhui took 225 balls with 19 fours and a six and hung in to extend his stay to the second day. Karn Sharma earned a pat from Bhui for his 86-ball knock of 31.

The scores Andhra – 1 innings: D. B. Prasanth c Yadav b Bhati 0, K. S. Bharat lbw b Bhati 17, N. Jyothi Saikrishna lbw b Bhati 0, Ricky Bhui (batting) 150, B. Sumanth b Mishra 2, P. Girinath Reddy c Rawat b Bhati 29, B. Siva Charan Singh lbw b Yadav 27, Karn Sharma c Rawat b Bhati 31, Shoaib Khan (batting) 0, Extras (lb-8, w-2), Total (for seven wkts in 86 overs) 266. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-6, 3-35, 4-48, 5-122, 6-188, 7-265. Delhi bowling: Subodh Bhati 21-6-35-5, Simarjeet Singh 16-1-78-0, Vikas Mishra 22-8-49-1, Shivank Vashisht 16-1-58-0, Lalit Yadav 11-1-38-1.