After the lengthy ten-team Indian Premier League 2022 concluded on May 29, the action shifted back to the senior men’s domestic season. The second half of the split Ranji Trophy season, that was affected to due to Covid-19, began on Monday with all the quarter-finals taking place in Bengaluru.
Here’s a round-up of Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals:
Bengal vs Jharkhand
Jharkhand won the toss and opted to field first but Bengal found themselves in a steady position as they piled a massive 310/1 on Day 1. Abhimanyu Easwaran (65) and Abhishek Raman (41) initially stitched a century opening-stand. After Raman retired hurt, Easwaran combined with Sudip Gharami (106*) to build another significant partnership. Gharami and Anustup Majumdar (85*) continued to have a good time after Easwaran was dismissed for 65.
Like so many players in Bengal, he has not had it easy, so it is so good to see him do well in a televised game.
— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) June 6, 2022
Now 23, his life has changed only in the last 2-3 yrs. Ganguly spotted him dominating in an U-23 game against Mumbai, asked the coaches if he could be fasttracked...
Mumbai vs Uttarakhand
Thanks to debutant Suved Parkar (104*) and Sarfaraz Khan (69*) and back-to-back century partnerships, Mumbai were in a strong position at 304/3 at the end of Day 1. Although captain Prithvi Shaw and Yashasvi Jaiswal were dismissed early, Armaan Jaffer and Parkar added a 112-run stand. The score was bolstered by Parkar who scored a century, while Sarfaraz brought up another half-century this season.
Suved Parkar 🔥
— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) June 6, 2022
Had a dream run in CK Nayudu Trophy for Mumbai... scoring 600+ runs in the season. Selectors didn't make him wait, drafted him into the XI for the knockout and he hits 100 on debut. #RanjiTrophy @MumbaiCricAssoc @BCCIdomestic
The last Mumbai batter to score a hundred on debut was Prithvi Shaw, in the #RanjiTrophy SF in 2016-17. And the Mumbai head coach scored 260 on his debut in 1993-94. Suved Parkar is seven runs short of the milestone, with the new ball having been taken @sportstarweb #MUMvCAU
— Amol Karhadkar (@karhacter) June 6, 2022
Sarfaraz Khan since making a return to FC cricket in 2020
— Indian Domestic Cricket Forum - IDCF (@IndianIdcf) February 17, 2022
🏏8, 71*
🏏36
🏏301*
🏏226*
🏏78, 25
🏏177, 6
🏏71*
🏏14
🏏121*
In last 10 Ranji innings:
1049* runs @ 174.8 with 4 💯 🔥
Overall FC :
MATCH - 19
RUN - 1548
AVG - 67.3
50s - 5
100s- 4#ranjitrophy2022 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/fkJIdtKZln
Karnataka vs Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh ended Day 1 on top as Karnataka scored 213/7 as the UP bowlers worked their way into the game. While most of Karnataka’s batters got starts, none of them stuck around for long enough. Mayank Agarwal (10) and skipper Manish Pandey (27) got starts but couldn’t kick-on. The top scorer for Karnataka remained R Samarth (57). Eventually, Saurabh Kumar (4/67) starred for UP with Shivam Mavi (3/40) giving him just the right support.
Karnataka batsmen’s parade continues. Awful application on a surface which holds no demons. Throwing away wickets has been the order of the day. #RanjiTrophy #KARvUP
— Manuja (@manujaveerappa) June 6, 2022
Saurabh Kumar has a bit of Rangana Herath in that side-on release, doesn't he? #RanjiTrophy
— Soorya Sesha (@sooryasesha7) June 6, 2022
Poor application by the Karnataka batsmen. This surface looks a good one to bat but the batsmen have found ways to get themselves out. Can cost you dearly in a knockout game #DoddaMathu #RanjiTrophy #CricketTwitter
— ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ | Dodda Ganesh (@doddaganesha) June 6, 2022
Punjab vs Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh’s Puneet Datey (3/48) was the pick of the bowlers as his performance remained vital in bundling Punjab for 219. After dismissing Shubman Gill (9) early, the right-arm pacer also took the wickets of Punjab captain Abhishek Sharma (47) and Anmolpreet Singh (47), who remained the top scorers for the day. Sanvir Singh scored 41 runs in the lower order to help Punjab go past 200 runs. At stumps on Day 1, Madhya Pradesh were 5/0 and trailed by 214 runs.
Punjab 89/1 (20) at Lunch. Post Gill's early dismissal, Abhishek has been stoic in his approach, making a seamless transition back to red-ball cricket. Few of the MP bowlers have said the pitch has turned to be completely flat. Possibly in for a long haul. #RanjiTrophy #PUNvMP
— Lalith Kalidas (@lal__kal) June 6, 2022