Ranji Trophy: Desai spins web as Gujarat thump Uttarakhand

Siddharth Desai was the player of the match after finishing with figures of 9 for 36 against Uttarakhand on Saturday

IMAGE: Siddharth Desai was the player of the match after finishing with figures of 12 for 113 against Uttarakhand on Saturday. Photograph: Kind courtesy Gujarat Cricket Association/X

Left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai's spellbinding performance was the highlight as Gujarat secured a dominant innings and 28 run victory over Uttarakhand in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

Desai's career-best figures of 9/36 had single-handedly dismantled the visitors' batting lineup to bowl them out for 111 in the first innings.

In reply, Gujarat's Manan Hingrajia (116) and Jaymeet Patel (121) piled on the runs as they posted a formidable 393, taking a substantial 282-run lead.

Uttarakhand folded for 254 in their second essay as Gujarat wrapped up the match with more than a day to spare.

Desai wasn't done yet as he continued to torment Uttarakhand batters, claiming 3 more wickets in the second innings to finish with a remarkable match haul of 12/113.

He was well-supported by Rinkesh Vaghela (3/63), Vishal Jayswal (3/71).

The only resistance came for Shashwat Dangwal who scored 101 from 129 balls after skipper Ravikumar Samarth showed some positive signs at the top with his resolute 162-ball 76.

The bonus point win helped Gujarat (26) climb to the second spot, two points behind Vidarbha who led a strong second innings fightback in an away match against Rajasthan.

Skipper Akshay Wadkar (102 batting) and Yash Rathod who missed a century by two runs led their fight back to take them to 358/7 in their second essay after conceding a first innings lead.

Vidarbha now lead by 258 runs, setting up an intense final day's play.

Brief Scores:

In Ahmedabad: Uttarakhand 111 and 254 in 87.3 overs (Shashwat Dangwal 101, Ravikumar Samarth 76; Rinkesh Vaghela 3/63, Vishal Jayswal 3/71, Siddharth Desai 3/77) lost to Gujarat 393 by an innings and 28 runs.

In Hyderabad: Hyderabad 565 in 168.5 overs (Tanmay Agarwal 177, Kodimela Himateja 76, Abhirath Reddy 73, Saranuu Nishanth 71, Rahul Radesh 52; Akash Vashist 4/92, Mukul Negi 3/98) vs Himachal Pradesh 275 (Innesh Mahajan 68, Shubham Arora 53, Akash Vashist 46; Ankitreddy 5/72) and 21 for no loss.

In Puducherry: Andhra 303 and 248/5 in 69 overs (Karan Shinde 86 batting; Ankit Sharma 2/56) vs Puducherry 260 in 79 overs (Mohit Kale 60, Arun Karthik 59, Aman Khan 50; Prithvi Raj 5/64).

In Jaipur: Vidarbha 165 and 358/7 in 122 overs (Akshay Wadkar 102, Yash Rathod 98, Nachiket Bhute 57) vs Rajasthan 265.