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Ojha inspires a dramatic fightback

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

GOOD SHOW: Himachal Pradesh’s Ashok Thakur celebrates with teammates after scalping Hyderabad’s Ahmed Khadri.

HYDERABAD: It was a dramatic fightback. Hyderabad, bundled out for 189 in its second innings and with a 22-run deficit in the first, nearly turned the tables on Himachal Pradesh, restricting the latter to 136 for eight on the fourth and concluding day of their Ranji Trophy Super League cricket match at the Gymkhana Grounds on Friday.

From the sluggish to the slick, the Hyderabad attack’s transformation was most evident in Pragyan Ojha’s haul of five for 52 and part-time off-spinner T. Suman’s two for 26.

The visitor had 41 overs to score 168 for victory and about an hour short of two full sessions to do so. Bhavin Thakkar and Sangram Singh paved the way with an opening stand of 79, when Ojha dipped one short to lure Singh to lob a simple catch to Arjun Yadav at mid-on.

Suman forging a two-pronged spin attack from the far end, had Thakkar bowled all ends up. First innings centurion Paras Dogra was bowled round his legs by Ojha, while Vinit Indulkar was picked up by Suman in the covers, also off the southpaw.

Mukesh Sharma’s pull-sweep was pouched by long-leg Ravi Teja off Suman shortly after the mandatory overs commenced. But for Alfred Absolom’s dismissal of Vikramjeet Malik, it was Ojha all the way. The tweaker varied his line and length, his assault directed from over and around the stumps.

The scores: Hyderabad — 1st innings: 328. Himachal Pradesh — 1st innings: 350. Hyderabad — 2nd innings: T. Suman b Mohinder 46, D.B. Ravi Teja c A. Mannu b Malik 1, A.T. Rayudu c Mannu b Malik 42, Anoop Pai (run out) 0, Arjun Yadav lbw b Thakur 10, Abhinav K. c Mannu b Thakur 4, A. Quadri c Mannu b Thakur 46, M.P. Arjun c Sangram b Sarandeep 6, A. Absolom c & b Thakur 1, Pragyan Ojha (not out) 5, Ashwin Yadav lbw b Thakur 0; Extras (b-10, lb-4, nb-13, w-1): 28. Total (in 77 overs): 189.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-82, 3-85, 4-101, 5-109, 6-123, 7-149, 8-180, 9-189.

HP bowling: Malik 17-10-45-2, Mohinder 20-4-46-1, Sarandeep 20-7-41-1, Bali 4-0-15-0, Thakur 14-8-22-5, Thakkar 2-0-6-0.

Himachal Pradesh — 2nd innings: B. Thakkar b Suman 55, Sangram Singh c Arjun b Ojha 27, P. Dogra b Ojha 15, Mukesh Sharma c Ravi Teja b Suman 6, V. Indulkar c Suman b Ojha 1, A. Mannu c Pai b Ojha 7, A. Bali b Ojha 1, V. Malik b Absolom 2, Sarandeep (not out) 12, A. Thakur (not out) 1; Extras (b-4, lb-3, w-2): 9. Total (for eight wkts. in 41 overs): 136.

Fall of wickets: 1-79, 2-97, 3-105, 4-110, 5-116, 6-118, 7-121, 8-125.

Hyderabad bowling: Absolom 12-2-38-1, Arjun 2-0-13-0, Ojha 18-3-52-5, Suman 9-0-26-2.

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