Meghalaya watched in dismay as K. Nitesh Reddy (122, 194b, 13x4, 4x6) and wicketkeeper-batter M. Sai Pragnay Reddy (102 n.o., 141b, 11x4, 1x6) strung together a brilliant 131-run stand for the seventh wicket to put Hyderabad back on top.
It took a 46-run lead on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group final at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Resuming at the overnight score of 25 for two in reply to Meghalaya’s 304 in the first innings, the home team lost the in-form southpaw G. Rahul Singh, who was surprised by the extra bounce from pacer Akash Choudhary, to make it 39 for three in eighth over.
Hyderabad captain Tilak Varma looked good, playing some lovely strokes, before mistiming a pull shot off pacer Dippu Sangma to be caught at mid-on.
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Hyderabad lost two more wickets with Akash sending back Chandan Sahani and then affecting a brilliant run-out to send back the well-set T. Ravi Teja. At 165 for six, Meghalaya could have hoped to realise its first objective of taking the first-innings lead.
But, that was not to be as Nitesh and Pragnay batted as well as they could, showing great cricketing discipline and wonderful stroke selection. The way the two paced the innings under pressure during that century stand was too good for the Meghalaya bowlers.
Hyderabad’s M. Sai Pragnay Reddy celebrates his century against Meghalaya in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group final at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday. | Photo Credit: V.V. Subrahmanyan / The Hindu
Nitesh essayed some stunning strokes, including a six over square-leg off Meghalaya’s best bowler Chengkam Sangma, and cover-driving and steering Ram Gurung for two boundaries in one over.
He was lucky on 99 when his upper-cut saw Jaskirat Singh at third-man fail to latch on to a catch off Akash. But, he soon, completed his second century in his sixth match.
Pragnay was the more aggressive of the two, unleashing some lusty blows every time the bowlers erred in line and length.
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Importantly, he blended defence and offence as the innings progressed to complete his maiden Ranji Trophy century in style in his seventh match, hooking Chengkam with debutant and last man Rishab Baslas at the non-striker’s end.
Ironically, Rishab was out leg-before-wicket (lbw) in the next over to Dippu.
Meghalaya, in the second innings, was zero for one in 0.3 overs with left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan again providing the breakthrough.
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