Ranji Trophy 2019-20: Hyderabad batsmen fail again

The home team failed to capitalise despite winning the toss on what looked a perfect wicket with lot of carry and bounce.

Hyderabad batsman Himalay Agarwal is clueless after being bowled by Rajasthan pacer Rituraj Singh.

 

It was yet another dismal batting display by Hyderabad as it folded up for 171 against Rajasthan on the first day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday.

The home team failed to capitalise despite winning the toss on what looked a perfect wicket with lot of carry and bounce. All that was needed was circumspection and better shot selection, and this was shown only by southpaw B. Sandeep, in-form wicketkeeper-batsman K. Sumanth and a defiant Chama Milind. But, even these failed to convert good starts into big knocks.

First to go was captain Tanmay Agarwal, who was trapped lbw on a hesitant shuffle against left-arm pacer Aniket Choudhary in the seventh over.

Later, seasoned opener Akshath Reddy failed again. This time he went for a drive on the off-stump without getting to the pitch of the ball only to gift a catch to the slip fielder off pacer Rituraj Singh. The bowler dismissed Jaweed Ali too in a similar fashion. And then, Himalay Agarwal was clueless to one that swung back late to knock back the middle-stump; Hyderabad had slipped to 33 for four.

For someone who was deceptive, both with his physique and pace, Rituraj was easily the pick of the bowlers in the morning session for the three-wicket spell.

Then, southpaw B. Sandeep looked good in the company of Sumanth before he was was involved in a freak run-out. A straight drive from Sumanth deflected off the bowler, Shubham Sharma, to hit the stumps when Sandeep was out of his crease.

All-rounder Ravi Teja was trapped lbw by left-arm pacer Tanveer-ul-Haq. Soon, Saaketh Sai Ram retired hurt after he was hit on the left-shoulder while trying to hook Tanveer. He returned to bat again in the end but by then, it was all over.

However, it was Sumanth and Milind, who joined his senior at 85 for six, to put up a useful 69-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Not surprisingly, Sumanth was in the rescue act again and duly completed a half-century (51, 120b, 7x4) with some neatly-timed strokes before he was out lbw to Shubham Sharma.

At stumps, the visiting side was two for no loss.

Brief scores: Hyderabad 171 all out (K Sumanth 51, B Sandeep 38; R Singh 3/34, A Choudhary 3/41; Rajasthan 2/0).