Guwahati: As many as seven ducks and three single-digit scores highlighted Nagaland’s plight in domestic cricket.
Call it inconsistency or a suicidal approach, Nagaland were bundled out for a meagre 25 in their second innings, which saw the team eventually lose to Uttarakhand by 174 runs in their opening Elite Group A game of the Ranji Trophy at Sovima on Friday.
Nagaland could blame themselves for a self-destructive batting approach in their second essay, especially after taking a comfortable 107-run lead against the opponents in the first innings. After restricting Uttarakhand to a paltry 282 in the first innings, Nagaland banked on Shrikant Munde’s patient 161 and Yugandhar Singh’s 73, to put up a convincing 389 on the board.
In the second innings, Uttarakhand not only eclipsed the lead but came back strongly with half-centuries from Swapnil Singh (88) and Priyanshu Khanduri (73) to put on 306/7 before declaring their innings, and eventually setting an achievable 200 for Nagaland, before the home side faltered.
Among the other North East teams in action, Sikkim and Meghalaya registered contrasting victories while Assam and Tripura secured a draw each. Arunachal Pradesh suffered a massive loss by an innings and 221 runs at the hands of Bihar in Patna.
In Guwahati, Assam banked on a stellar effort from the batters to secure a draw against Saurashtra, and earn a solitary point from their Elite Group B contest that ended here on Friday. Put in to bat, Assam banked on half-centuries from Rahul Hazarika (90) and Riyan Parag (76) to put on 286, before the visitors comfortably grabbed a 206-run lead thanks to a massive first innings total of 492, thanks to a double century from Jay Gohil (227) and opener Harvik Desai’s 108 runs.
In reply, Assam once again put up a resilient effort with half-centuries from skipper Kunal Saikia (60), Riyan Parag (95) and Sibsankar Roy (75) to thwart Saurashtra’s hopes of an outright win.
Meanwhile, Tripura managed to grab three points, thanks to a superior first innings score in their drawn Group D affair with Gujarat. Electing to field, Manishankar Murasingh picked five wickets to bowl Gujarat out for 271 runs, most of which came off centurion and skipper Priyank Panchal’s 111 and Chintan Gaja’s 68-run knock. In reply, Tripura banked on notable contributions from Sridam Paul (57), Sudip Chatterjee (58), and Rajat Dey (63) to gain a slender 21-run first-innings lead.
Panchal once again tormented Tripura with a handsome 85 in their second innings before Manishankar’s second five-wicket haul of the match restricted the visitors to a modest 233/8, thereby setting a 212-run target for the home side.
Sridam Paul’s second half-century of the contest guided Tripura to 116/3 before both Wriddhiman Saha and Panchal decided to shake hands, signalling a draw.
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In Rangpo, 16-year-old debutant Pheiroijam Jotin Singh’s heroic 9-wicket haul in the first innings for Manipur, went in vain as the visitors suffered an eight-wicket loss to hosts Sikkim in a Plate Group encounter. Set a target of 160 for an outright victory, Sikkim banked on half-centuries from Pankaj Rawat (72) and Nilesh Lamichaney (74) to pocket six points from the contest.
In another Plate Group encounter played in Nadiad, Meghalaya came back from a first-innings deficit to hand a two-wicket loss to Mizoram.
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