Chandigarh, Jan 30 (IANS) Saurashtra rode on a stellar maiden double century from skipper Harvik Desai to take firm control of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match against Chandigarh at the Sector 16 Stadium here on Friday.
Resuming at their overnight score of 167/1 Saurashtra declared their first innings at 453/3 in 106.1 overs. Desai remained unbeaten on 200 off 305 balls in a knock laced with 21 boundaries and a six, while Jay Gohil missed out on a century, falling for 98 off 111 deliveries.
Arpit Vasavada also contributed 96, striking six fours and two sixes, while Prerak Mankad was not out on 26. For Chandigarh, Karthik Sandil and Rohit Dhanda picked up a wicket apiece.
Saurashtra secured a commanding lead of 317 runs before Chandigarh began their second innings. At stumps on day two, the hosts were 31 for no loss in nine overs, with openers Arjun Azad (18) and Shivam Bhambri (12) at the crease, as Chandigarh still trail by 286 runs.
At IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali, left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar’s four-wicket haul put Punjab in command, but Shreyas Gopal (42 not out) and Vidyadhar Patil (23 not out) steadied Karnataka after KL Rahul hit 59 off 87 balls as the visitors closed day two at 255/6 and trail the hosts by 54 runs.
At Holkar Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh eked out a slender eight-run first-innings lead against Maharashtra. Left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya Singh returned with figures of 6-33 to bowl out Maharashtra for 179 after MP were bowled out for 187. In their second innings, Shubham Sharma (54) and Venkatesh Iyer (52) struck fifties as MP reached 166/4 at stumps, with their lead standing at 174 runs.
In Porvorim, opener Rohan Kunnummal’s unbeaten 132 guided Kerala to 237/2 at close on day two against Goa. Kerala, last year’s runners-up in the Ranji Trophy, trail Goa by 118 runs. Earlier, Suyash Prabhudessai made 86 but Ankit Sharma’s six-wicket haul restricted Goa’s progress, as the hosts made 355 in their first innings.
–IANS
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