Ranji Trophy: Andhra upsets the apple cart; pips Mumbai, Maharashtra for a quarterfinal spot

After all of the cheering for the return of Ranji Trophy in its full avatar, the protection given to it on tv was underwhelming. With simply 21 out of 133 group matches telecast, it appeared that the event was being handled as an insignificant sideshow to worldwide cricket.

The denouement to the race for a spot within the knockouts needed to be an thrilling one to attract the eye again on India’s premier first-class event throughout its first full season because the COVID-19 pandemic.

Everything fell into place on the ultimate night of the group stage – the fourth day of the seventh spherical of matches. Only the heavyweights may have set us up for such a shock. As Mumbai and Maharashtra clashed from Elite Group B with a knockout spot at stake, few would have seen a 3rd staff in Andhra pip them each to affix group topper Saurashtra within the knockouts.

Rare occasion

Heading into the ultimate spherical, Andhra (19 factors) had simply crushed Saurashtra and wanted an innings victory (for a bonus level) to barely keep alive. Andhra’s solely hope of qualification? An unfinished first-innings draw between Mumbai and Maharashtra the place each groups would pocket just one level every – unlikely. Was there one other method? Yes, if solely Mumbai and Maharashtra play out a first-innings tie, the sport ending in a draw.

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Hanuma Vihari’s Andhra had given all of it; it beat Assam by an innings and 95 runs inside three days to leap to 26 factors. Vihari and his boys packed their luggage and headed their separate methods dwelling after a “hard-fought” season appeared to have come to an finish with 4 wins, together with a bonus level on the very finish. But the tables turned all so dramatically. In a trice, Vihari’s ‘season ending’ social media posts vanished as Mumbai and Maharashtra tied on the primary innings on the Brabourne Stadium!

Run machine: Mumbai’s Sarfaraz Khan celebrates his century towards Delhi on the Ferozeshah Kotla. After scoring 982 runs final season, Sarfaraz ended the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy with 556 runs at a median of 92.66.
| Photo Credit: R. V. MOORTHY

The odds have been in favour of Andhra heading into the ultimate day. Mumbai and Maharashtra eradicated their probabilities of progressing to the knockouts by enjoying out a draw after simply the tenth first-innings tie in over 5,000 matches within the event’s historical past. Maharashtra huffed and puffed on day 4 to set an unbelievable 253-run goal for Mumbai in 28 overs. Ajinkya Rahane’s males went all out however fell 58 runs quick when time was known as at 5:10pm. The quarterfinals have been sealed. Andhra had squeezed by way of, its solitary bonus level win making the distinction as Maharashtra had one level much less.

Special performances

The event now had all of it – ecstasy, agony, miracles, and nice solo efforts. We as soon as once more noticed how particular the event is.

Ranji Trophy issues to cricketers. To the unstoppable Sarfaraz Khan, who continues to pile on the runs for Mumbai. To Odisha’s fast-bowling big Basant Mohanty, who started with Manoj Tiwary’s wicket in 2007 and 401 scalps later bid adieu to the sport by claiming the identical identify once more in Kolkata. To Jalaj Saxena, a peerless all-rounder, who notched up 50 wickets within the season but once more with out coming near the India cap. To Prithvi Shaw, the trope of new-age batting, who slammed a record-breaking 379 to make everybody sit up and take discover. And to so many different cricketers.

‘Elite’ battle, relegations and promotions

Elite Group A: With Abhimanyu Easwaran away on India A excursions, veteran Manoj Tiwary took cost of Bengal, which topped the group with 4 wins and 32 factors. Easwaran’s thick vein of type continued upon return to the staff. He additionally made his ‘home’ debut on the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy particular, scoring 165 and an unbeaten 82 towards Uttarakhand. The academy, in Dehradun, was inbuilt his identify by his father.

Beginning its journey as a Plate staff in 2018-19, Uttarakhand, too, maintained its spectacular run. It notched up three wins, pipping the likes of Himachal Pradesh and Baroda to qualify for its third quarterfinal in 4 seasons.

Elite Group B: While Saurashtra, Andhra, Maharashtra and Mumbai supplied drama, the groups within the backside half of the factors desk softened the competitors within the stiffest group. Heavyweights Tamil Nadu and Delhi have been wobbly within the preliminary rounds earlier than salvaging satisfaction and gaining factors in the direction of the enterprise finish. TN might be buoyed by the emergence of the exuberant batter-cum-leader Pradosh Ranjan Paul and the return of Vijay Shankar, who scored three centuries and two half-centuries in 9 innings.

Delhi had comparatively few moments to cherish – Dhruv Shorey’s scintillating type with the bat, Hrithik Shokeen’s impression with bat and ball, and good bowling efforts by Harshit Rana and Divij Mehra.

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Elite Group C: It was all to simple for Karnataka. The eight-time champion remained undefeated, displaying glimpses of its prowess within the longest format, underneath the captaincy of Mayank Agarwal. The high quality of its tempo trio of V. Vyshak, Vidwath Kaverappa and Koushik V. meant that the truckload of top-order runs had been braced.

It was a three-way tie for the second spot. Kerala was left hurting after a dismal finish to its marketing campaign. With rivals Jharkhand and Rajasthan faltering within the remaining spherical, Kerala wanted solely a win over bottom-ranked Puducherry. However, deplorable techniques and a tame draw ended Kerala’s run within the competitors, and propelled Jharkhand by way of. Jharkhand had two additional factors.

Elite Group D: Madhya Pradesh loved a superb run because it dismantled its opponents with ease. However, it bumped into Punjab within the penultimate stage. Fresh from a jaw-dropped 210-run chase in 24.5 overs towards Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab inflicted an innings defeat on the defending champion, its batters brimming with expertise and firing together with a terrific tempo battery. Both groups have been miles forward of the competitors within the group, sealing their spots even earlier than the ultimate spherical of matches.

Plate Group: There is so much to play for when you have got at stake a spot within the Elite Group subsequent season. Bihar and Manipur cashed in as they vaulted to the ultimate regardless of mediocre performances within the group stage.

Laggards: A horrendous marketing campaign with a solitary level – because of unhealthy mild – dumped Hyderabad within the Plate Group alongside Nagaland, which broke into the Elite group this season. Hyderabad, it appears, wants extra than simply on-field reforms to set the course for a return to the Elite stage.