Welcome to Sportstar 's live coverage of the third day of the first round of the 2021-22 season of the Ranji Trophy.
FOLLOW LIVE - Ranji Trophy, Round 1, Day 4
Another action-packed day comes to an end. The story of the day has to be Shahrukh Khan's swashbuckling 194 that allowed Tamil Nadu to take the first-innings lead against Delhi in Guwahati. It was an astonishing turnaround from TN after having been reduced to 296 for 6 at one point. Shahrukh's knock could have won T20 games - he scored all those runs at a strike-rate of 131.08. Not to forget the contributions of B. Indrajith (117, 149b, 17x4, 2x6) and N. Jagadeesan (50, 71b, 3x4, 2x6), both of whom partnered Shahrukh to resurrect their side.
After Ajinkya Rahane's century on day one, all eyes were on the other India batter, Cheteshwar Pujara, to score some runs during Saurashtra's innings today in the contest against Mumbai. It was an anti-climax - Pujara was out for a duck. Saurashtra was bowled out for 220 to hand Mumbai a first-innings lead of 324 runs.
In Cuttack, Bengal is fighting back in the second innings but still has a fair bit to go to chase down 349 runs.
Three matches are already over: Chhattisgarh beat Jharkhand in Guwahati, Manipur beat Arunachal Pradesh in Kolkata, and Kerala beat Meghalaya in Rajkot.
Join us, for all the action on day four, at 9am. Until then, it's goodbye.
UPDATES
Andhra v Rajasthan | Stumps, at the St Xavier's College ground. Andhra ends the day at 100 for 4. Ricky Bhui and Sandeep overcame a testing spell from Aniket and Tanveer to add 59 runs for the fifth wicket.
Gujarat v MP | 200 up for Madhya Pradesh in the second innings, for the loss of four wickets. Shubham Sharma is batting on 70, and giving him company is Yash Dubey. The two batters have added 36 runs for the fifth wicket. Gujarat may have the lead but there is a lot left in this game, it seems.
And it's stumps. The score: 202 for 4. Lead: 145.
Saurashtra v Mumbai | Here's Ayan Acharya with the latest from Ahmedabad : Saurashtra openers have been brilliant. Have attacked the Mumbai spinners and ensured there aren't too many quiet overs. A loud "that's why we are Ranji champs, boys, come on" as Snell Patel goes past his 50.
Ayan adds : Some late drama. Mulani is convinced he has Snell Patel caught at slip. The fielders are already celebrating, but Snell is unmoved. So is the umpire.
Delhi v TN | It's stumps, in Guwahati. Tamil Nadu has been bowled out for 494. That's a lead of 42 runs. Shahrukh Khan scored 194.
Kerala v Meghalaya | Kerala wins.Here's P. K. Ajith Kumar, reporting from Rajkot : Kerala has won at Rajkot, some 50 minutes after tea on the third day. Sachin Baby’s men have crushed Meghalaya by an innings and 166 runs. Basil Thampi took four wickets and Jalaj Saxena three, including the last one. There were two wickets for 17-year-old Edhen Apple Tom, the Man of the Match.
Bengal v Baroda | Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is standing tall; he's batting on 76. His innings has kept Bengal in the hunt for a win at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Anustup Majumdar is giving him company in the middle; he's batting on 12. Bengal needs 217 more runs to win.
Gujarat v MP | It's a blossoming alliance between Shubham Sharma and Aditya Shrivastava. Shubham is two runs away from a half-century, while Shrivastava is batting on 31. They have added 40 runs for the fourth wicket. MP is ahead by 108 runs.
Saurashtra v Mumbai | Here's Ayan Acharya, with the latest from Ahmedabad : Saurashtra openers going at more than 3 an over for now. Both Harvik and Snell have been fluent in their strokeplay and there have been fewer plays and misses. But given the sheer volume of runs Mumbai have, Shaw and the dugout won't be worried at all.
TN v Delhi | Tamil Nadu has taken the lead!Here's our correspondent S. Dinakar : In a sensational comeback, Tamil Nadu, surpassing Delhi's 452, took the lead with a belligerent Shahrukh Khan unbeaten on 183. N. Jagadeesan, playing a crucial supporting role, was on 44.
Saurashtra v Mumbai | Saurashtra has started its second innings briskly. Harvik Desai and Snell Patel have compiled 39 runs together. A total of seven boundaries have been hit so far. 39 for 0 in the 10th over, trails by 285 runs.
Andhra v Rajasthan | Chasing 368, Andhra is tottering at 27 for 3. Aniket Choudhary and Tanveer Haq are making life miserable for the batters.
Saurashtra v Mumbai | Saurashtra has been bowled out for 220. Mumbai has enforced the follow on.
Kerala v Meghalaya | A win is on the horizon for Kerala. Here's P. K. Ajith Kumar with the latest : Meghalaya is staring at the inevitable during the tea break here at Rajkot. At 148 for eight in the second innings, it is trailing Kerala by 209 runs. Sachin Baby’s men should surely be keen to wrap up the match in the final session today and thus earn an extra day of rest. Once again it’s the seamers that have done most of the damage. Basil Thampi has taken three and there are two wickets apiece for debutant Edhen Apple Tom and spinner Jalaj Saxena, who was introduced after 41 overs.Chirag Khurana made a delightful 75 off 70 balls (15x4), but nobody else has yet been able to reach 25. Dippu Sangma is not out on 23, though.
TN v Delhi | Here's S. Dinakar, our correspondent, with the update from Guwahati : Tamil Nadu in hot pursuit of 453 for the lead against Delhi was 368 for six with an aggressive Shahrukh Khan on 125 and N. Jagadersan on 17. B. Indrajith fell to Nitish Rana's off-spin after reaching the three-figure mark.
Bengal v Baroda | At tea, Bengal is 65 for 0 in the second innings. Abhimanyu Easwaran is batting on 38, and Sudip Gharami is batting on 20.
Andhra v Rajasthan | Rajasthan is bowled out. Here's our correspondent M. R. Praveen Chandran with the update : Uphill task awaits Andhra as Rajasthan sets a target of 368 runs. Rajasthan scores 316 in the second innings. Captain Ashok Menaria (79) with useful contributions from the lower-order batters have frustrated Andhra bowlers. The odd ball is bouncing and there is slow turn.
TN v Delhi | A pugnacious century from Shahrukh Khan. Delhi's lead is now reduced to less than 100. Shahrukh has hit 13 fours and fixes so far in his 93-ball 117.
Karnataka v Railways | Off-spinner K. Gowtham gets his fourth wicket. Mohammad Saif has been dismissed, stumped for 84. Yuvraj and Avinash Yadav have added 20 runs already. Karnataka's lead is now less than 100.
Saurashtra v Mumbai | Jackson reaches his half-century. Here's Ayan Acharya : Well played Sheldon Jackson! Fifty up with a single. Standing between Mumbai and a massive first-innings lead. Has stepped out to the spinner, cut, pulled and driven quicks in equal measure.
Bengal v Baroda | Fifty up for Bengal, in the second innings. Importantly, no wicket has fallen yet. Still an uphill task ahead, 296 needed to win.
Vidarbha v UP | It's a half-century for Apoorv Wankhede. Vidarbha is 445 for 4, leading Uttar Pradesh by 144 runs. Akshay Wadkar has also hit a fifty. The partnership is now worth 106 runs.
TN v Delhi | The sixth-wicket partnership is broken. B. Indrajith falls lbw to Nitish Rana for 117. Excellent innings from the stalwart, hitting 17 boundaries and two sixes in his 149-ball knock. Shahrukh Khan is still there, though, and will hope to stick around for another good partnership with N. Jagadeesan, the new batter. 324 for 6 in the 83rd over.
Gujarat v MP | Rajat Patidar brings up the 50 for Madhya Pradesh with a delectable flick off the pads for a four through midwicket. Picturesque stroke.
Saurashtra v Mumbai | Sheldon Jackson and Chirag Jani are providing some resistance to Mumbai. They have added 39 runs so far, for the seventh wicket. Jackson is two runs away from a half-century, his 28th in first-class cricket. Saurashtra is still behind by 373 runs.
Karnataka v Railways | With the dismissal of Karn Sharma, Railways is six wicket down. 329 for 6.
TN v Delhi | Tamil Nadu is inching closer to 300 now. B. Indrajith is batting on 111 while Shahrukh Khan is on 66.
Gujarat v MP | Chintan Gaja has his second. He surprises Ajay Rohera with a full delivery coming in sharply after pitching. Rohera attempted a drive but the ball snuck through and struck his right pad. Umpire says out. MP 34 for 2 now, trails by 23 runs.
TN v Delhi | B. Indrajith gets to his century. Shahrukh Khan has his half-century, too. The partnership is worth 111 runs. TN 273 for 5. Still behind by plenty.
TN v Delhi | B. Indrajith leads Tamil Nadu's fightback. He is four runs away from his century, at the ACA Stadium in Barsapara, Guwahati. Shahrukh Khan is one run away from his half-century. Both have scored at a rapid rate. 249 for 5 in 70 overs.
Bengal v Baroda | Meanwhile, in Cuttack, Baroda has been bowled out. Here's Y. B. Sarangi, with the latest : Baroda 255 all out in its second innings in 85.1 overs.Mitesh Patel scored 57 and built two important partnerships worth 64 and 43 runs with Dhruv Patel and Atit Sheth (20) respectively. Bengal needs 349 runs to win.Ishan Porel and Akash Deep took three wickets apiece, while Mukesh got two.
Kerala v Meghalaya | Here's P. K. Ajith Kumar, with the latest from Rajkot : Kerala’s seamers are proving to be too hot to handle for Meghalaya’s batters yet again. The pace quartet has reduced Meghalaya’s second innings to 77 for four at lunch. The last of those wickets was taken by 17-year-old debutant Edhen Apple Tom – you better believe this – and that too with his first ball. Remember he had claimed a wicket with the first ball in the first innings too, as he made history for Kerala, for which no debutant had achieved the feat before. There have been two wickets for Basil Thampi, who has looked the sharpest of the four seamers and one for Manu Krishnan, who broke through with the fourth ball of the innings. Chirag Khurana doesn’t seem to be affected by all that is happening at the other end. He has played some delectable shots in unbeaten 47 (37b, 11x4). Yes, he seems to prefer dealing only in boundaries. Meghalaya trails by 280 runs. The question is whether it would be able to take the match to the final day.
Andhra v Rajasthan | It's lunch at the St.Xavier's College ground. Rajasthan in driver's seat. They reach 227 for 6 and have extended the lead to 278. Skipper Ashok Meneria is unbeaten on 48. Shubham Singh is giving him good support. The seventh wicket pair has so far added 41 runs.
Karnataka v Railways | Shreyas Gopal's first over of the day produces the much-needed breakthrough for Karnataka. Here's our reporter S. Dipak Ragav : Shreyas Gopal gives the breakthrough ending a 96-run stand between Arindam and Saif. Centurion Arindam trapped leg-before. This was Shreyas Gopal's first over of the day. 29th over of the session. Railways 294 for 4.
And Saif reaches his fifty with edge through the slips for four.
Bengal v Baroda | Lunch, on day three, in Cuttack. Here's our correspondent Y. B. Sarangi : Wicketkeeper-batter Mitesh Patel (54 batting, 5x4) scored his second half-century of the match as he added 64 runs with Dhruv Patel (34) for the seventh wicket and another unbroken 37-run stand with Atit Sheth (16 batting). Baroda took lunch at 245 for 7 in 82 overs in its second innings to establish a 338-run lead. Dhruv was the other wicket to fall in the morning session. He was caught at short midwicket off Ishan Porel.
TN v Delhi | It's lunch, in Guwahati. Here's our correspondent S. Dinakar summing up the first session's play : Tamil Nadu was 203 for 5 at lunch on day three. B. Indrajith was on 81 and Shahrukh Khan on 20. Earlier, Kaushik Gandhi made 55 before falling to Delhi left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra, who scalped three.
TN trails by 249 runs.
Karnataka v Railways | Arindam Ghosh is closing in on a century as Railways puts up a fight against Karnataka, at the Guru Nanak College Ground in Chennai. At 286 for 3 in the 91st over, Railways is behind by 195 runs.
Gujarat v MP | Gujarat has been bowled out for 331 for a 57-run first-innings lead. The last-wicket pair of Arzan Nagwaswalla (18, 30b) and S. Desai (23, 37b) added 41 runs in 10.1 overs.
Mumbai v Saurashtra | Pujara is out for a duck! Arpit Vasavada goes, too. Saurashtra five down now.
Here's Ayan Acharya : HUGE WICKET! Pujara gone for a duck. Mohit Avasthi carving out the top order. Lets out a huge scream after the finger goes up. Runs towards the fine leg in celebration! Sarfaraz stops him with a "udhar apna dugout nahi hai! "
Couple of balls in the channel outside off from Mohit before getting one to dart back into Pujara at decent pace, and Pujara is gone.
Andhra v Rajasthan | Rajasthan five down. Here's M. R. Praveen Chandran with the latest from Trivandrum : Mahipal Lomror's watchful innings ends. The batter stepped out to off spinner Vijay and Yorked himself. His departure for 78 leaves Rajasthan at 169 for 5. The lead now is 220.
Bengal v Baroda | Baroda's lead has crossed 300, thanks to a productive seventh-wicket partnership between Mitesh Patel and Dhruv Patel. They added 64 runs together before Dhruv was dismissed for 34 by Ishan Porel.
Kerala v Meghalaya | It's a century, for 22-year-old Vathsal Govind. Here's P. K Ajith Kumar, from Rajkot : Vathsal Govind has scored his maiden first-class hundred. The 22-year-old, playing only his second Ranji Trophy match, looked pretty solid as he held the lower half of the Kerala batting together. He is the third centurion in the innings, after openers P. Rahul and Rohan Kunnummal. Shortly after Vathsal’s hundred, Kerala declared its first innings at 505 for nine – that’s a lead of 357. When the declaration came, Vathsal was unbeaten on 106 (193b, 8x4, 1x6). The duo added 51 for the unfinished ninth wicket.
Andhra v Rajasthan | A wicket, for Sasikanth. Here's our correspondent M. R. Praveen Chandran with the update : Sasikanth traps Aditya Garhwal in front. The batter has failed to cash on to the two reprieves he had. He is dismissed for 38. Meanwhile Mahipal Lomror has completed his half century and is playing positively this morning. He is batting on 68.
And another: Rajesh Bishnoi falls cheaply, caught in the deep off Manish. Rajasthan 131 for 4.
Saurashtra v Mumbai | A wicket falls. Here's Ayan Acharya : GONE! Shams Mulani, into the attack for the first time in this match, gets Snell Patel caught. Patel looked to sweep, got a leading edge to first slip. Wasn't convinced with the decision but has to walk.
Gujarat v MP | Gujarat takes the first-innings lead, but soon after, loses its eighth. It's a wicket-maiden from Ishwar Pandey, who draws out an edge off the bat of Chintan Gaja. Gaja nibbles at a delivery outside the off-stump and edges to first slip.
Gujarat v MP | Karan Patel brings up his half-century with a square-cut to point for four. And he gets out soon after, trapped lbw by a delivery coming in sharply after pitching on a good length. The bowler: Gourav Yadav; it's his third wicket.
Mumbai v Saurashtra | Here's the summary of the first half-hour of the day's play, by our correspondent Ayan Acharya : Interesting half hour. There could have been a run-out chance had the fielder at square leg collected the ball cleanly. The very next delivery, the openers take a risky single and collect five overthrows. Snell Patel has collected two 4s through third man off Kulkarni.
Andhra v Rajasthan | Here's the update from St. Xavier's College, Trivandrum : Rajasthan batters looking solid. The total reaches 100 and lead is over 150 runs.
Gujarat v MP | A square drive from Roosh Kalaria brings up the 250 for Gujarat, which is inching closer to MP's first-innings total of 274. Karan Patel is five runs away from a half-century.
Mumbai v Saurashtra | The third day's play has begun at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. Nine more runs have been added to Saurashtra's overnight total of 18 for 0, all by Snell Patel, who moves to 20. Saurashtra 27/0 in the 11th over.
Bengal v Baroda | Play has begun, at the Barabati stadium in Cuttack. Baroda is six wickets down now, having lost P. A. Kumar in the first over of the day. Kumar was dismissed by Mukesh Kumar. 144 for 6, leads by 237 runs.
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Although Ajinkya Rahane got out relatively early on day two, Mumbai still dominated the day's play, erecting a giant total of 544 for 7 declared, thanks to Sarfaraz Khan's 275. But today, all the attention will be on Cheteshwar Pujara as Saurashtra attempts to reply well. Pujara has been out of form in Test cricket for a while; a century from him will be another gift for India fans after Rahane's 129.
HIGHLIGHTS - Ranji Trophy, Round 1, Day 2
Tamil Nadu, too, needs to bat well to match up to Delhi in the contest in Guwahati. After being reduced to 253 for 7, Lalit Yadav rallied with the tail to allow his side to post 452. Responsibility will be on the shoulders of the likes of B. Indrajith, Vijay Shankar and Shahrukh Khan.
Bengal will want a better day with ball and bat to hang in against Baroda.
None of the 19 matches have concluded yet, so there's plenty of action in store for today.
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