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Hyderabad regroups after shaky start

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: K. Ramesh Babu

WELL HELD! Himachal Pradesh fast bowler Ashok Thakur took a fine return catch to send back S. Anoop Pai of Hyderabad.

HYDERABAD: Hobbling at 74 for four in the morning session of its Ranji Trophy super league cricket match against Himachal Pradesh, Hyderabad recouped to close the opening day on 237 for six at the Gymkhana grounds on Tuesday.

On a firm strip that was no minefield, the host’s top order was found wanting against an accurate Himachal attack that dominated the action for most of the day.

Seemingly rudderless without skipper V.V.S. Laxman — sidelined with a lower back strain — Hyderabad lost Ravi Teja in the third over, caught behind by stumper Ajay Mannu off Vikramjeet Malik.

Ambati Rayudu, backing up for a single, couldn’t regain his ground and was run out by Ashok Thakur’s direct hit from mid-on with but a dozen runs on the board. The HP skipper then leant to his left on his follow-through to latch on to a caught and bowled offering from Anoop Pai.

Opener T. Suman mixed prudence and valour well, blending water-tight defence with half a dozen boundaries, apart from a lofted golf shot that bounced off the media enclosure into the neighbouring scrub. Also plundering sixes off India discard Sarandeep Singh were Arjun Yadav and Ahmed Quadri.

The onus was now on the middle order to stem the rot and the duo of Abhinav Kumar and Ahmed Quadri proved more than equal to the task.

Quadri cut loose soon enough, his seven boundaries mostly through square and straight drives racing to the ropes, as did his rasping cuts.

For the visitor, the biggest obstacle in their way was undoubtedly Abhinav, his unbeaten 70 embellished with seven hits to the fence in a four-and-a-quarter-hour stay.

Where others flirted with disaster outside the off, Abhinav stepped out to smother the spin of southpaw Abhinav Bali, surviving courtesy a spilt catch at second slip off Thakur, when on 62.

The scores:

Hyderabad — 1st innings: T. Suman c Ajay Mannu b Mohinder Sharma 45, D.B. Ravi Teja c Mannu b Vikramjeet Malik 0, A.T. Rayudu run out 1, Anoop Pai c&b Ashok Thakur 15, Arjun Yadav c Paras Dogra b Malik 19, Abhinav Kumar (batting) 70, Ahmed Quadri lbw b Abhinav Bali 47, M.P. Arjun (batting) 15, Extras (b-5, lb-3, nb-16, w-1) 25; Total (for six wickets in 90 overs) 237.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-12, 3-31, 4-74, 5-121, 6-198.

Himachal Pradesh bowling: Vikramjeet Malik 22-5-58-2, Ashok Thakur 18-1-45-1, Mohinder Sharma 16-3-50-1, Sarandeep Singh 17-2-40-0, Abhinav Bali 17-6-36-1.

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