India’s new domestic cricket season got off to an absorbing start on an overcast day.
By the time it ended under a starless sky at the NPR College Ground, there was a gritty knock by Ashutosh Singh, a fine show of seam bowling by Ankit Rajpoot and a brief spell of rain, too, as India Red made 230 for six against India Green in the Duleep Trophy.
Earlier, Abhinav Mukund could be pardoned if he felt this could be his day. He chose to bat and looked in good touch, while his partner, Sanjay Ramaswamy, fresh from a 87 for Indian Board President’s XI against South Africa-A a couple of weeks ago, seemed even in better form.
The Vidarbha batsman played some lovely strokes square off the wicket, on either side, and helped the opening stand reach 50 in little over an hour.
But, when the score was on 69, Rajpoot, in his second over after changing ends, had Abhinav edging to the first slip. The tall seamer then had Sanjay leg-before with a straight ball.
It was a fine spell of speed and bounce by the man who had impressed for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.
Tamil Nadu affair
B. Aparajith and Ashutosh (57, 223min, 194b, 2x4) ensured that no further damage was done, taking their team to 93 for two at the end of the opening session. But on resumption, Aparajith was snapped up in the slip by his twin Indrajith off a rising ball from seamer K. Vignesh; everything about that dismissal was pure Tamil Nadu.
India Green then faced a mini crisis, when Jalaj Saxena, one of the better all-rounders in the domestic cricket over the last few years, had Writtick Chatterjee lbw. The Indore-born Kerala off-spinner, the leading Ranji Trophy bowler last season with 44 wickets, reduced India Red to 137 for four.
But, in wicket-keeper Akshay Wadkar, Ashutosh found a partner who was willing to stay on and frustrate the bowlers.
They added 61 for the fifth wicket before Wadkar was bowled by the part-time spinner Prashant Chopra.
Then, with the second new ball Rajpoot had Shahbaz Nadeem caught well in the slip by Gurkeerat Mann, to make it a satisfying day for his team, led by wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel, who shuffled the bowlers well.
The scores: India Red — 1st innings: Sanjay Ramaswamy lbw b Rajpoot 37, Abhinav Mukund c Chopra b Rajpoot 34, B. Aparajith c Indrajith b Vignesh 23, Ashutosh Singh (batting) 57, Writtick Chatterjee lbw b Saxena 22, Akshay Wadkar b Chopra 29, Shahbaz Nadeem c Mann b Rajpoot 17, Rajneesh Gurbani (batting) 6; Extras (nb-2, w-3) 5; Total (for six wkts. in 90 overs) 230.
Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-80, 3-114, 4-137, 5-198, 6-221.
India Green bowling: Ashok Dinda 11-1-20-0, Ankit Rajpoot 17-4-38-3, K. Vignesh 18-0-64-1, Vikas Mishra 22-6-49-0, Jalaj Saxena 17-3-42-1, Prashant Chopra 5-0-17-1 .
