INDORE, Jan 31: A fluent century by Ricky Bhui and his association with Karan Shinde helped Andhra overcome the blow dealt by skipper Hanuma Vihari’s injury on day one of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against defending champions Madhya Pradesh here.
Thanks to Bhui’s unbeaten 115 and Shinde’s 83 not out, Andhra ended the day at a strong 262 for two.
Sent in to bat by MP captain Aditya Shrivastava, the visiting team got off to a brisk start with C R Gnaneshwar (24) and Abhishek Reddy (22) adding 37 runs.
Reddy was the first to fall, trapped LBW by medium-pacer Gaurav Yadav (2/53), the only MP bowler to pick up wickets on the day.
Skipper Vihari joined Gnaneshwar and the two added 21 runs before the latter was dismissed by Yadav.
Vihari and Bhui played cautiously before the pacy Avesh Khan struck the former with a bouncer. Andhra were 72 for two at that stage.
The blow left Vihari in some discomfort and he subsequently decided to retire hurt. Later, scans revealed that the Andhra captain had suffered a wrist fracture.
The batters though recovered after Vihari’s injury and frustrated the MP attack. Bhui, a key member of the visiting team’s batting unit, played with a lot of determination, and in Shinde’s company, kept the scoreboard ticking.
The duo did not mind playing out a few quiet overs in between but picked up runs when the bowlers erred in line and length. Avesh Khan worked up some pace but sprayed the ball around at times. He conceded 12 boundaries in the 19 overs he bowled on the day.
Yadav bowled steadily and was rewarded with the scalps of Gnaneshwar and Abhishek Reddy. The 190-run stand between Bhui, who helped himself to 12 fours and a six and Shinde ensured that Andhra moved to a position of strength at stumps.
Brief scores: Andhra 262 for 2 in 88 overs (Ricky Bhui 115 batting, Karan Shinde 83 batting) vs Madhya Pradesh. (PTI)
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