JAIPUR: A 95-run sixth-wicket stand between seasoned Ashok Menaria (60) and Salman Khan (53) combined with a crucial fifty by Mahipal Lomror ensured Rajasthan reach a respectable 256/9 at stumps after a sloppy start on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy match against Punjab at the SMS Stadium here on Monday.
Punjab’s pace trio of Siddharth Kaul (3-68), Baltej Singh (2-54) and Sanvir Singh (2-39) made full use of the moisture and grass left on the pitch to reduce the hosts to 139/5 at one time before Menaria and Khan helped their team suprass the 200-run mark in the Elite Group ‘A’ encounter. A couple of drop catches also went in favour of Rajasthan with Mahipal (dropped at 35 off Kaul’s delivery) and Menaria (dropped at 27 at leg slip off Baltej’s delivery) going on to slam vital fifties for their team.
Put in to bat by the visitors, Rajasthan openers Chetan Bist (5) and Amitkumar Gautam (12) failed to fire before the pace duo of Siddharth and Baltej. While the seasoned Kaul removed Amitkumar, caught behind by
Anmolpreet Singh, wicketkeeper-batsman Chetan was found plumb before the wicket by Baltej. Captain Robin Bist (20) too was sent back to the pavilion without much contribution on a screamer by Sanvir.
18-year-old left-arm medium-pacer Ashwani Kumar too impressed on debut with his swing and movement off the pitch troubling the hosts, though it didn’t eventually reflect in the overall figures (13-1-59-1). Ashwani snared the crucial wicket of Lomror caught by Sharad Lumba, who also made his Ranji debut on Monday, at short cover when the former tried to go over the 30-yard circle.
It was then left to the last batting pair of Menaria and Salman to bail out the team. While Menaria carefully constructed his innings, waiting to score a boundary only when an opportunity arrived, Salman ensured the run rate didn’t go down with smart strokeplay. Menaria, the 29-year-old from
Udaipur
, slammed four fours and a six in his 110-ball knock. This is his 19th fifty in first-class cricket and second out of five games against Punjab.
Salman, on the other hand, picked eight fours which included hits between the third slip and gully and upper cut above keeper Anmol Malhotra. Just when the duo seemed to breach the 100-run partnership, Sanvir’s out-swinging delivery caught him surprised only to land in the hands of Mandeep.
All-rounder Shubham Sharma then tried to steady things along with Menaria but the latter was caught behind by Sharad off Kaul’s slow bouncer.
Thereafter, wickets fell like a pack of cards and before Rajasthan could be bowled out, bad light intervened and umpires J R Madanagopal and Pranav M Joshi called for stumps. Punjab are likely to be fined for slow over rate as they could only complete 79 out of the stipulated day’s quota of 90 overs.
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