Rasool’s fifer puts India Red on backfoot
RAINA’S DECISION TO BAT FIRST AFTER WINNING THE TOSS BACKFIRED AS ANIKET CHOUDHARY HAD SAMIT GOHEL OFF THE VERY SECOND BALL
After missing the first game against India Red at Lucknow, India Green off-spinner Parvez Rasool made his presence felt on Tuesday, bagging five wickets to put India Blue on the backfoot on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy match here.
Making full use of the slow Green Park track, Jammu and Kashmir spinner Rasool claimed his ninth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket as the Suresh Raina-led India Blue were skitted out for 177 in 52 overs on day one of the four-day game.
Rasool began by removing skipper Raina, who gave a simple catch to Navdeep Saini after making 40 in 61 balls with the help of four hits to the fence. This, however, opened the floodgates for the Jammu and Kashmir bowler, who ripped through the India Blue innings, claiming wickets at regular intervals.
Rasool’s other victims were last match’s centurion Deepak Hooda (16), Jayadev Unadkat (3), Bhargav Bhatt (10) and Manoj Tiwary.
Suresh Raina’s decision to bat first on his home ground after winning the toss backfired as left-arm seamer Aniket Choudhary had opener Samit Gohel (1) offthe very second ball of the innings’ second over. He also had the other opener Srikar Bharat (10) in his third over.
When a collapse looked imminent, Raina and Tiwary tried to provide some stability, stitching together a 90-run third-wicket stand. But once Raina departed after the tea break, wickets began tumbling on regular basis.
Playing courageously at the other end, Bengal’s Tiwary stroked the ball with consummate ease. He completed his 28th first-class half-century. His 138ball 78 contained 12 boundaries and a six and was an exhibition of class in a tough situation.
However, left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar took two wickets in his sixth over to bring the curtains down on the India Blue innings. He had Akshay Wakhare (6) caught by Amandeep Khare off the third ball before forcing last-man Pankaj Singh (0) to offer a simple catch to Dhawal Kulkarni. In the three-match domestic season opener, only a win can help the Parthiv Patel-led India Green set up a final clash with India Red at Lucknow (Sept 25-29). For India Blue, a draw would be enough to enter the final.