JAIPUR: On a wicket that has so much for the spinners to exploit,
Sheldon Jackon
, resuming from the overnight individual score of 78, eked out 38 runs on Day Two to reach the three-figure mark to bring his first century of the season in a Group A match of the
Ranji Trophy
2023-34 against Rajasthan at the SMS Stadium on Saturday. No other batsman, from both the sides, could score more on the day.
The 37-year-old domestic stalwart’s knock of 116 included 8 fours and 4 sixes.
Courtesy the Day One centurion Cheteshwar Pujara and Jackson, Saurashtra finished at respectable 328 in the first innings. With no one in their camp to replicate the concentration and technique of the Saurashtra duo, Rajasthan were reduced to 159/6 at stumps. Samarpit Joshi and Manav Suthar are at the crease as Rajasthan are trailing by 169. The youngsters will be under tremendous pressure as the outcome of the game will have a huge bearing on their chances to qualify for the knockouts.
Earlier, Rajasthan’s left-arm seamer
Aniket Choudhary
and left-arm spinner Ajay Kookna bundled out the opposition before lunch, not letting them add more than 86 runs. While Kookna took a five-wicket haul, his second of the season, Aniket finished with a four-fer.
But Rajasthan batsmen failed to make their way past left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3-68) and off-spinner Yuvrajsinh Dodiya (3-62). There was a visible struggle to build the innings.
Tottering at 55/3, Deepak Hooda (36 off 66 balls) and
Kunal Singh
Rathore (33 off 50 balls) looked like taking the charge of Rajasthan’s recovery, but the former was unlucky to receive a ball that kept very low. He was bowled out off a Jadeja delivery in the 45th over and the partnership between the two did not flourish beyond 66.
Kunal perished in the subsequent over, followed by Karan Lamba in the next over.
Rajasthan tailenders have done well so far, and that must give them hope of a rescue act by the remaining four on Day Three.
Brief score: Saurashtra 228 in 116.5 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 110; Sheldon Jackson 116; Ajay Kookna 5-120, Aniket Choudhary 4-33) vs Rajasthan 159 for 6 in 61 overs (Deepak Hooda 36, Kunal Singh Rathore 33; Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 3-68, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya 3-62).
English (US) ·