Published: Oct 07, 2016, 05:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Oct 07, 2016, 05:28 PM (IST)
Incessant rain at Bhubaneswar meant that no cricket was possible on Friday in the Group C Ranji Trophy tie between Himachal Pradesh and Andhra at KIIT Stadium. The match was interestingly poised on Day One: after being reduced to 103 for 5, Himachal Pradesh had recovered brilliantly to finish the day on 318 for 7. None of the first five men to get out reached double-figures, but hundreds from Prashant Chopra (117) and Sumeet Verma (116 not out) kept Himachal hopes high. Verma first added 89 with Chopra, and once the latter got out, there was another quick 105-run stand with Mayank Dagar.
One of the salient features of the Himachal Pradesh was the breakneck pace at which they batted, scoring at a remarkable 3.97 an over. Andhra captain Hanuma Vihari rotated his fielders around, but could not stop the stem of runs. For Andhra, Siva Kumar and CV Stephen have taken 2 wickets apiece. Himachal may look for some early runs before a quick declaration tomorrow.
Brief scores:
Himachal Pradesh 318 for 7 (Prashant Chopra 117, Sumeet Verma 116*, Mayank Dagar 42) against Andhra.
