NAGPUR: A couple of fielding lapses and the rub of green going the other way undid the good work done by Vidarbha bowlers at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Wednesday.
Gujarat, almost down and out at 150 for 6, made the most of the run of luck to finish Day 1 on 281 for 6 in 86 overs to keep the Elite Group ‘B’ Ranji Trophy match wide open.
The first fielding lapse happened in the 9th over, when Gujarat were 10 for 2: Priyank Panchal edged a delivery from medium pacer Praful Hinge when on 9.
Yash Rathod, standing at gully grassed a regulation catch. Then in the 43rd over, when Gujarat were 113 for 5: Vishal Jayswal, on 3 off 12 balls, whacked the ball with all his might towards the bowler.
Off spinner Akshay Wakhare failed to react in time to the difficult caught and bowled chance as the tracer bullet raced to the straight boundary.
Post the reprieve, Panchal (88;158b;9x4;2x6) went on to post his second fifty of the season. Jayswal, playing his second First Class match, posted his maiden century (110;125b;12x4;4x6) in the format. Together, the two brought Gujarat back into the game after they were pushed to a tight corner by Vidarbha bowlers.
Panchal lived a charmed life on Wednesday. After the reprieve by Rathod, Vidarbha pacers not only beat Panchal often but also induced edges of his bat. Much to the despair of the hosts, though, the edges either fell short of the slip cordon or flew over them.
Making the most of his good fortune, Panchal posted his fifty by lofting Wakhare over straight boundary for a six. A Praful Hinge yorker finally ended his innings.
At the other end, Jayswal, after hitting a boundary on the ball on which he got a life, clobbered 11 more fours and fours sixes to finish Day 1 unbeaten on 110 off 125 balls. Jayswal used every variant of the sweep shot — conventional, fine and slog — as he battered Vidarbha's spin duo of Wakhare and Harsh Dubey.
At tea, Jayswal along with skipper Chintan Gaja had added 27 runs in 49 balls. Post the break, the two snatched the Day 1 honours from Vidarbha bowlers by remaining unbeaten for the entire third session.
Their unfinished 131-run seventh wicket partnership, the highest of the day for Gujarat, has kept the game wide open. The scenario looked highly unlikely at one point as Vidarbha bowlers had reduced them to 151 for 6 inside the second session.
Vidarbha opening bowlers were on the money in the morning session after putting Gujarat in to bat. Hinge sent back Aarya Desai (0;7b) while Aditya Thakare trapped Manan Hingrajia (1;20b) lbw as Gujarat laboured to 11 for 2 in 20 overs. In the 20th over, Hinge removed Umang Kumar (15;28b;1x4;1x6) as Gujarat reached lunch at 85 for 3.
In the second session too, Vidarbha bowlers picked up three wickets. The rearguard action by Jayswal and Gaja (43;123b;7x4) though denied Vidarbha bowlers any breakthrough in the last session of the day.
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