Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Vijay’s fifer, Rasheed’s fifty keeps Andhra on driving seat vs Hyderabad on Day 2

Combining rock-solid defence and excellent stroke play, Rasheed, in the company of Karan Shinde, denied Hyderabad any further success on the second day

Andhra’s Tripurana Vijay (extreme right) celebrates dismissing Hyderabad’s C.V. Milind in their Ranji Trophy Match in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: V. V. Subrahmanyam

It was Andhra’s day as first off-spinner Tripurana Vijay claimed his maiden five-wicket haul and then Shaik Rasheed scored a fluent unbeaten half-century as it scored 168 for two in the first innings in reply to Hyderabad’s 301 on the second day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Thursday.

Play was stopped with still 16 overs to be bowled because of rain with Hyderabad clearly looking at the long tunnel of despair.

The 23-year-old Vijay continued to impress with an immaculate, teasing line and length to return with his career-best figures in First Class cricket as the home team scored only 57 runs losing the last five wickets in 15.4 overs this morning.

And, even that respectable total was thanks to the counter-attack by the seasoned campaigner Tanmay Agarwal (159, 287b, 12x4, 3x6), who scored 35 runs today including two huge sixes off Vijay and was eventually the last batter to be dismissed.

And, when Andhra batted, it suffered the first blow when opener M. Hemanth Reddy (9) was brilliantly caught by a diving Nitesh Reddy to his left at second slip to latch on to a sharp chance off pacer Rakshan Readdi.

Then, the other opener Abhishek Reddy (38, 74b, 4x4, 1x6) and the classy Rasheed (79 batting, 161b, 11x4) batted sensibly to put on 67 runs for the second wicket before the former was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner G. Anikethreddy by that one kept low.

With Karan Shinde (41 batting, 94b, 4 x4) joining him, Rasheed, the India under-19 star showed why he is rated so highly with a classy knock. The way he timed his strokes especially off Rakshann, through mid-wicket, covers and the straight drive was a real treat to watch.

Combining rock-solid defence and excellent stroke play, Rasheed in the company of Shinde (41 batting, 94b, 4x4) denied Hyderabad any further success with the bowlers clearly struggling on a pitch which offered little help.

Brief scores:

Hyderabad - 1st innings: 301 all out (Tanmay Agarwal 159, Tripurana Vijay 5/118)

Andhra - 1st innings: 168/2 (Rasheed 79 not out, Shinde 41 not out)

At Stumps, Day 2: Andhra trails by 133 runs