Hyderabad extended their lead to 293 runs against Rajasthan on Day 3 of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match. Captain G. Rahul Singh (59) and K. Himateja (41) led the charge, despite regular wickets falling in their second innings
Hyderabad: Captain G Rahul Singh scored his second half-century of the match (59, 66 balls, 8×4), and K Himateja contributed with a valuable 41 (70 balls, 3×4), helping Hyderabad extend their overall lead to 293 runs with three wickets in hand on the third day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday.
Resuming at an overnight score of 221/5 in reply to Hyderabad’s first innings total of 364, Rajasthan, with wicketkeeper-batter Kunal Singh Rathore (63) and Kukna Ajay Singh (42) at the crease, were bowled out for 269 in just 22.4 overs. This allowed Hyderabad to claim a vital first innings lead.
Hyderabad’s bowlers, led by left-arm pacer Chama Milind and left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan (both picking 3 wickets each), along with pacer B. Punnaiah (2 wickets), ensured Rajasthan’s lower order couldn’t make significant contributions.
In their second innings, Hyderabad got off to a poor start, losing opener Tanmay Agarwal (12) in the 10th over as Ajay Singh forced him to edge to wicketkeeper Rathore. Abhirath Reddy (14) was dismissed soon after by pacer Ashok Sharma in a similar fashion.
Hyderabad lost wickets at regular intervals, and were at 198/7 at the close of play, despite contributions from Rahul Singh and Himateja. Rajasthan’s bowlers, led by Mahipal Lomror (2/30) and Ashok Sharma (2/33), kept the pressure on.
The final day on Tuesday promises to be an exciting one, as Hyderabad looks to set a challenging target for Rajasthan on what appears to be a tricky wicket.
The scores:
Hyderabad: 364 in 104.1 overs & 198/7 in 62 overs (G. Rahul Singh 59, K. Himateja 41, A. Varun Goud 29; Mahipal Lomror 2/30, Ashok Sharma 2/33)
Rajasthan: 269 in 94.4 overs (Kunal Singh Rathore 83, Kukna Ajay Singh 58; B. Punnaiah 2/39, Chama Milind 3/44, G. Anikethreddy 3/64, Tanay Thyagarajan 3/64)
