Gujarat captain Chintan Gaja and spinner Vishal Jayswal shared seven wickets between them to bowl out Himachal Pradesh for 215 on the opening day of their must-win Ranji Trophy Group B match in Ahmedabad on Thursday.
With both teams vying for the second quarterfinal spot from the group, Gujarat's bowlers were on the mark, wrapping up Himachal's first innings in just 66.3 overs after opting to bowl.
Leading from the front, Gaja delivered a stellar spell of medium pace, claiming 4/31 in 17.3 overs at an impressive economy rate of 1.77. He accounted for both the openers before taking the crucial wicket of rival skipper Rishi Dhawan (40).
Left-arm spinner Jayswal also made a strong impact, finishing with figures of 3/23 in just eight overs.
Despite several Himachal batters getting promising starts, they failed to convert them into substantial scores. Ankit Kalsi (53) and Dhawan provided the only real resistance, but their efforts weren't enough to push their side to a bigger total.
Himachal, however, struck back with the ball, making early inroads into Gujarat's top order. Spinners Mayanak Dagar and Mukul Negi removed openers Aditya Patel (19) and Aarya Desai (8)
At stumps, Gujarat were 44/2, trailing by 171 runs, as both teams fought fiercely for the final quarter-final spot.
Vidarbha struggle as Hyderabad bowlers dominate
In Nagpur, two-time champions Vidarbha -- who have already secured their quarter-final berth -- were put on the back foot as Hyderabad bowled them out for just 190 in 55.5
Pacer Rakshan Readdi (3/29) and Chama Milind (2/46) dismantled the Vidarbha top order before left-arm spinner Anikethreddy (3/54) ran through the middle order.
All-rounder Harsh Dubey fought a lone battle with a counterattacking 65 off 46 balls.
In response, Hyderabad put up a solid batting display, reaching 90/2 at stumps. Opener Tanmay Agarwal remained unbeaten on 53, with Kodimela Himateja keeping him company.
Rajasthan's Tomar falls short of century
In Vizianagaram, Abhijeet Tomar (94) and Manav Suthar (54) guided Rajasthan to 258 before spinner Tripurana Vijay registered career-best innings figures of 5/62.
Andhra made a solid start in reply, finishing the day at 49/0.
Kale's unbeaten 93 boosts Puducherry
Meanwhile, in Puducherry, Mohit Kale's unbeaten 93 helped the hosts reach 246/7 against Uttarakhand, despite Deepak Dhapola's impressive 4/29.
Brief Scores:
In Ahmedabad: Himachal Pradesh 215 all out in 66.3 overs (Ankit Kalsi 53, Rishi Dhawan 40; Chinatan Gaja 4/31, Vishal Jayswal 3/23) lead Gujarat 44 for 2 in 21 overs ( Aditya Patel 19, Manan Hingrajia 13 not out; Mayank Dagar 1/5, Mukul Negi 1/160 by 171 runs.
In Nagpur: Vidarbha 190 all out in 55.5 overs (Harsh dubey 65; Rakshan Readdi 3/29, Anikrthreddy 3/54) lead Hyderabad 90 for 2 in 29 overs (Tanmay Agarwal 53 not out, Abhirath Reddy 20; Akshay Wakhare 1/21)
In Vizianagaram: Rajasthan 258 all out in 79.5 overs (Abhijeet Tomar 94, Manav Suthar 54; Tripurana Vijay 5/62) lead Andhra 49/0 in 8 overs (S Bharat 26 not out; Khaleel Ahmed 0/10).
In Puduchery: Puducherry 246 for 7 on 89.1 overs (Mohit Kale 93 not out; Deepak Dhapola 4/29) vs Uttarakhand.
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