Ranji Trophy: Saurashtra enter semis by virtue of first innings lead

ONGOLE: There were more than seven sessions of play left in the game after Saurashtra had taken a huge 283-run first innings lead. The visitors, who wanted to give their bowlers the much needed rest as the conditions were hot and humid, choose not to enforce the follow and instead batted again. But what was baffling was that they continued to bat for nearly four-and-a-half sessions.
It meant that the final day's play in their five-day Ranji Trophy quarterfinal game at the CSR Sarma ground just meandered into a meaningless existence.Undoubtedly, Saurashtra have their reasoning for not trying to force a result but it turned out to be poor advertisement for the game. How could a team with such a big lead on the third day itself not make the game a bit more interesting and competitive?
Chasing an impossible 710 for victory, Andhra survived a couple of anxious moments after the lunch break but managed to force a draw. They were 149 for four when play was called off at the stroke of tea. Skipper KS Bharat was batting on 55 (69b; 6x4, 1x6) and Karan Shinde was not out on 27 (61b; 3x4). In the process, Bharat completed his 23rd First Class half-century. Bharat's 11 dismissals in the match (8 catches and three stumpings) helped him to erase MSK Prasad's earlier Andhra record of 9 dismissals against Haryana in 2005. The record for the most number of dismissals in a match is held by Hyderabad's Ibrahim Khaleel, who had 13 victims to his credit against Assam in Guwahati in 2011-12 season. Bharat is second to him.
Saurashtra, who resumed at 375 for nine, on the final day's play batted for nearly 45 minutes before they were bowled out for 426. Overnight pair Chetan Sakariya and skipper Jaydev Unadkat didn't seem to be in a mood to give up so easily. They added 55 for the last wicket as Unadkat (31; 48b, 2x4, 1x6) went after the bowlers. He fell when trying to hit part-time bowler Karan Shinde out of the ground but succeeded in hitting it down Prashanth's throat at long on. Sakariya remained unbeaten on 29 (99b; 2x4, 1x6).
Andhra openers CR Gnaneshwar and DB Prashanth Kumar started off on a positive note. Prashanth, in particular, seemed keen on injecting some life into the dreary proceedings. After being rapped by Sakariya off the first ball, the right-handed batsman elegantly lofted the next ball over the mid-wicket fence to get Andhra's first six of the game.
Prashanth (18; 22b, 2x4, 1x6) also took on left-arm spinner Dharmendra Jadeja - lofting him over long on and then sweeping him to the square leg fence. But the cavalier knock was abruptly aborted by a brilliant piece of fielding by Unadkat. Prashanth tried to loft a Jadeja delivery to the square-leg fence but the Saurashtra skipper made a lot of ground from mid on and dived full length to pull off a stunner.
Gnaneshwar and Jyothi Saikrishna then pulled the shutters down and played out the overs. At lunch, Andhra were 54 for one but the break seems to have lulled the batsmen into complacency. The hosts lost Gnaneshwar (29; 76b, 3x4), Ricky Bhui (1) and Saikrishna (16) in quick succession to be reduced to 66 for four.
Bharat and Shinde managed to keep the Saurashtra bowlers at bay and eke out a face-saving draw. The duo added 83 for the unfinished fifth wicket with Bharat doing the bulk of the scoring.
SCOREBOARD
Saurashtra (1st Innings): 419.
Andhra (1st Innings): 136.
Saurashtra (2nd Innings, overnight 375/9): C Sakariya (not out) 29, J Unadkat (batting) 31; Extras: (NB2, W1, B5, LB5) 13. Total: (All out, 138 overs) 426.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-32, 3-113, 4-124, 5-163, 6-198, 7-270, 8-350, 9-371.
Bowling: S Mohd Rafi 32-5-92-3, KV Sasikanth 9-1-23-0, Ch Stephen 18-4-44-2, Prashanth Kumar 8-1-37-0, B Sumanth 19-1-64-0, R Bhui 11-1-40-0, J Saikrishna 28-4-74-4, K Shinde 13-1-42-1.
Andhra (2nd Innings): CR Gnaneshwar c V Jadeja b Mankad 29, DB Prashanth Kumar c Unadkat b D Jadeja 18, J Saikrishna lbw Mankad 16, R Bhui st Desai b D Jadeja 1, KS Bharat (batting) 55, K Shinde (batting) 27; Extras: (NB1, LB2) 3. Total: (For 4 wickets, 51 overs) 149.
Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-55, 3-66, 4-66.
Bowling: D Jadeja 19-5-39-2, C Sakariya 5-0-21-0, C Jani 5-3-8-0, P Mankad 7-3-8-2, A Vasavada 8-1-31-0, A Barot 5-0-37-0, V Jadeja 2-1-3-0.