Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 25: The Gujarat batsmen showed application, grit & guts and played sensibly to gain a vital first innings lead against Jammu and Kashmir on day-2 of the ongoing Ranji Trophy Group-B Match at Lalbhai Contractor Stadium, Surat in Gujarat.
Earlier, resuming from an overnight score of 15/0, the Gujarat openers showed promise and scored 71 runs in 31.1 overs, before Samit Gohel was caught by wicketkeeper Puneet Bisht after the bowling of left-arm spinner, Amir Aziz at his individual score of 37 runs off 93 balls, studded with 5 boundaries. Then skipper Parthiv Patel joined Priyank Panchal in the middle and the duo added another 45 runs to the total to take the score to 116 runs, before Panchal was dismissed by right-arm leg spinner, Manik Gupta caught by Puneet Bisht behind the stumps at his individual score of 61 runs off 132 balls with the help of 8 fours and one six and the team’s total of 131 runs in 43.4 overs.
Manik Gupta struck again, getting rid of Parthiv Patel at his individual score of 25 runs and the team’s total of 131 runs in 51.1 overs. A big partnership of 103 runs between Manprit Juneja and Rujul Bhatt took the score to 234 runs in 90.1 overs, before skipper Parvez Rasool got rid of Bhatt at his individual score of 38 runs.
At stumps on day-2, Gujarat were 276 for/4, with Juneja unbeaten on 66 runs and Chirag Gandhi on 31 not out.
From Jammu and Kashmir, Manik Gupta took 2 important wickets in 15 overs by conceding 68 runs, while Rasool claimed 1 wicket by giving away 61 runs in 33 overs and Amir Aziz bagged 1 wicket in his 22 overs by conceding 67 runs. speedsters Ramdayal and Mohd Mudhasir remained wicket-less, bowling 14 overs each.
The spin trio of J&K though bowled in good areas and restricted the rival batsmen from taking too many runs, but failed to purchase much drift and turn from the wicket, resulting in a good show by the Gujarat batsmen.
No-doubt, Gujarat have earned a crucial first innings lead and the team seems to be in a comfort zone, yet one gets a feeling that the match is still on as the hosts will have to play the fourth innings of the match. For that matter, day-3 tomorrow will be all important for both the teams. If J&K succeeds in restricting Gujarat to a total of around 340-350 runs (which one still believes is possible on this strip), they can still make a match of it as the surface, one gets a feeling, will be simply like a hell on day-4 of the match. It will be a delight to watch spinners bowling on this surface in the remaining two days of the match.
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