Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Sachin Baby and Akshay Chandran rescue Kerala against Bengal on day 1

Century by reliable Sachin Baby and his unbeaten 153-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Akshay Chandran carried Kerala to a comfortable total of 265 for four at stumps on the first day.

File Photo: Sachin Baby of Kerala celebrates his century against Assam in Ranji Trophy | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR/ The Hindu

Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary couldn’t hide his disappointment after Sanju Samson won the toss for the first time this season. There was a cry of anguish from Manoj as Kerala opted to bat first in the Ranji Trophy cricket match at the St.Xavier’s College ground here on Friday.

There was bounce and slow turn for the spinners on the first day but another obdurate century by reliable Sachin Baby (110 batting) and his unbeaten 153-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Akshay Chandran (76 batting) carried Kerala to a comfortable total of 265 for four at stumps on the first day.

Kerala innings was in duress (112 for four) when Akshay joined Baby soon after lunch. Shahbaz Ahmed had just found the outside edge of skipper Sanju Samon’s (8) bat with Manoj Tiwary completing a neat catch at first slip.

However, Akshay played the most fluent innings of the season and didn’t waste his good start unlike some of his fellow batters. When he gets going, Akshay is one of the most stylist batters in the team.

He played upright and drove with aplomb through the covers, swept and used the feet against the spinners. Akshay got into his groove early with a couple of neatly driven boundaries off Akash Deep who was the stand out bowler for Bengal. 

Baby all the while was playing risk free cricket to accumulate runs The Bengal bowling became a bit erratic after tea and Baby cashed on to the loose offerings. He lofted Ankit Mishra over the long on boundary for a six to move into 99 and tucked the ball behind square to complete his third hundred of the season.

Earlier, in the morning, Rohan Kunnummal (19) and Jalaj Saxena (40) gave Kerala one of its better starts of the season. Rohan after crashing a few boundaries slashed at a wide delivery from Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal and was snapped up by Manoj Tiwary at first slip. Rohan Prem (3) failed again as Kerala slipped to 40 for two.

Jalaj and Baby played patiently to add 42 for the third wicket but the former wasted a good start and feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Abhishek Porel off Mishra. 

Sanju never looked comfortable during his stay and edged a catch to slip off Shahbaz.

The scores

Kerala-1st innings

Rohan S. Kunnummal c Manoj b Jaiswal 19, Jalaj Saxena c Abhishek b Mishra 40, Rohan Prem c Abhishek b Akash Deep 3, Sachin Baby batting 110, Sanju Samson c Manoj b Shahbaz 8, Akshay Chandran batting 76

Extras (b-4, lb-3, w-1, nb-1):9

Total (for four wkts in 90 over): 265

Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-40, 3-82, 4-112

Bengal bowling

Jaiswal 15-3-40-1, Akash Deep 18-5-55-1, Mishra 23-3-53-1, Shahbaz 18-1-59-1, Karan 13-1-35-0, Kharia 3-0-16-0.