Kolkata, Dec 7:
Haryana wriggled themselves out from a difficult position to score a modest 231 all out before reducing Tripura to 70 for 4 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group C cricket match at Eden Gardens here today.
Haryana, who are aiming to seal a last eight berth, struck twice in four overs as Tripura trailed by 161 runs with Smit Patel unbeaten on 26 when bad light stopped play after 20.4 overs.
Tripura won a good toss and reduced Haryana to 70 for four with Sanjay Majumder (3/53) rattling the top order but it was Chaitanya Bishnoi who top-scored with his fighting 52 off 83 balls (9×4) to lead the revival.
Before Bishnoi could convert his half-century into a hundred he was dismissed by Bunti Roy and Haryana suffered another collapse and were 165 for 9. But a 66-run last wicket partnership took Haryana past 200-mark.
Skipper and their No. 11 batsman Mohit Sharma led the show in the crucial partnership with an unbeaten 39 laced with six boundaries, even as Tripura struggled to break the pair.
Sharma found a able ally in Harshal Patel, who chipped in with a valuable 26 that included a six in an extended second session.
Bunti Roy (2/44) finally broke the partnership dismissing Patel who edged one behind the stumps.
Tripura skipper Manisankar Murasingh (3/53) also had a share of three wickets as he ran through the middle-order.
The Haryana medium pacer, Harshal Patel, returned to impress with the ball as he rocked the Tripura top order with his double blow — Udiyan Bose (4) and Samrat Singha (1).
Brief Scores:
Haryana 1st innings; 231 all out in 66.4 overs (Chaitanya Bishnoi 52, Mohit Sharma 39 not out; Manisankar Murasingh 3/53, Sanjay Majumder 3/53).
Tripura 1st innings: 70 for 4 in 20.4 overs (Harshal Patel 2/08).
Summarised scores of other Group C matches:
1) Andhra v Hyderabad at Lucknow
Andhra 1st innings: 190 all out (Mudi Prajith 63, K Ashwin Hebbar 52; CV Milind 5/28, M Ravi Kiran 4/33).
Hyderabad 1st innings: 10 for no loss in 7 overs.
2) Chhattisgarh v Jammu & Kashmir at Gwalior
Chhattisgarh 1st innings: 217 for 6 in 60 overs (Amandeep Khare 106; Samiullah Beigh 4/56).
3) Kerala v Services at Delhi
Services 1st innings: 103 for 4 in 42 overs (Anshul Gupta 52 batting; Athif Bin Ashraf 3/35).
4) Goa v Himachal Pradesh at Mumbai
Goa 1st innings: 260 for 6 in 89 overs (Sagun Kamat 104, Darshan Misal 68 batting; Bipul Sharma 2/37). PTI
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