Hyderabad batter K Himateja scored his maiden First-Class hundred as his side played out a docile draw against Rajasthan on the final day of the Elite Group B Ranji Trophy fixture at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, on Saturday.
Rajasthan emerged the happier of the two sides, having secured the first-innings lead in dramatic fashion on Friday, taking home three points and moving to fourth in the Group B points table.
Starting the day at 36 for none, Hyderabad found some early momentum through openers Tanmay Agarwal and Abhirath Reddy, with the latter unleashing a flurry of boundaries.
Rajasthan struck back with two quick wickets, including Abhirath’s, to kindle hopes of an outright win.
But, Tanmay and Himateja quickly quelled any such aspiration as they steadied the ship for the visitors with a 139-run partnership.
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While Rajasthan skipper Deepak Hooda shuffled through his bowling resources in hopes of breaking further into the visiting side’s middle order, the left-handed duo of Tanmay and Himateja kept its cool to guide Hyderabad to 165 for two at Lunch.
Tanmay eventually was trapped in front by Kookna Ajay Singh for a well-made 79. Himateja though continued to rake in the runs, now in the company of skipper Rahul Singh.
Rahul wasn’t hesitant to play his strokes, gathering four fours and two sixes as Hyderabad upped the ante.
Soon enough, the 23-year-old Himateja reached the three-figure mark with a single against Kookna. The left-handed batter was measured in his approach, playing 176 balls and crunching 10 fours in his knock
But, with Hyderabad’s lead not brimming into winnable territory, the two teams decided to shake hands on a draw, ensuring an early finish.
In the next round, Hyderabad will host Andhra while Rajasthan will take on Uttarakhand away from home.
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