Ranji Trophy 2016-17, Round 9, Day 1 report and highlights: Punjab reach 216/4 vs Mumbai

Half-centuries from Uday Kaul and Mandeep Singh helped Punjab reach a modest 216 for 4 at stumps on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy 2016-17 Group A match against Mumbai. At the Saurashtra Cricket Association Ground in Rajkot, the two Punjab batsmen provided solidity to their side in absence of regular skipper Yuvraj Singh. While Kaul was unlucky to have missed out on a century, being dismissed for 86, Mandeep scored 78 to solidify their team’s position against a strong Mumbai outfit. At stumps, Gitansh Khera and Mayank Sidhana are batting on 4 off 24 balls and 11 off 27 balls respectively.

For Mumbai, Shardul Thakur and Suryakumar Yadav bagged two wickets each on a day where neither wickets tumbled on a regular basis, nor did the batsmen make merry. Punjab scored 216 for 4 at around 2.40 runs an over, which was far off from what is usually witnessed on batting-friendly wicket at Rajkot, especially on Day One. Winning the toss, Punjab decided to bat first but their approach remained very slow throughout the day. At the end of it, they however ensured to have put up a strong platform for a respectable first-innings total against Mumbai.

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Kaul made 86 off 229 balls with 8 boundaries, whereas Mandeep clobbered 2 sixes and 10 boundaries to make 78 off 132 balls. The two batsmen added 138 runs for the third wicket, reviving Punjab from a perilous position. Punjab openers Jiwanjot Singh and Pargat Singh were both dismissed by Shardul, for 4 and 29 respectively. Suryakumar claimed the two big wickets in the middle order.

Brief scores:

Punjab 216 for 4 (Pargat Singh 29, Uday Kaul 86, Mandeep Singh 78; Shardul Thakur 2 for 44, Suryakumar Yadav 2 for 3) vs Mumbai.