Sai Sudharsan counters Saurashtra’s spinners to provide Rest of India opening-day honours

Rest of India 298 for 8 (Sudharsan 72, Bharat 36, Bhut 4-85) vs Saurashtra

Sudharsan’s dismissal led to a wobble – Rest of India misplaced 3 for 22 – however helpful contributions from the decrease order dragged them nearer to 300 by stumps on the primary day.

Sudharsan set the bottom, forging a 69-run opening partnership with Mayank Agarwal after Rest of India gained what could possibly be a vital toss on a tough floor. Sudharsan was pretty watchful within the early exchanges towards home veteran Jaydev Unadkat, however then set to work with a Sadagoppan Ramesh-esque flick off Chirag Jani within the sixth over.

Saurashtra launched spin within the type of Dharmendrasinh Jadeja as early because the ninth over and paired him up with Yuvrajsinh Dodiya. With two slips and a foolish level in place, Dodiya went across the wicket and commonly discovered buy to threaten Sudharsan’s outdoors edge, however the batter patiently let these go outdoors off. As for Agarwal, he briefly attacked the spinners with sweeps earlier than Jadeja had him looping a bat-pad catch to slide for 32.

Sudharsan may’ve additionally been dismissed on 23, when Dodiya drew him out of the crease, however Harvik Desai, the wicketkeeper, missed the stumping probability. Sudharsan then tightened up: he was both proper ahead or proper again to take care of spin and waited for free balls. And after they got here, he put them away with drives and flicks. One such flick introduced him his half-century earlier than lunch.

Either aspect of the lunch break, Unadkat discovered some sharp inswing and had a foolish mid-on in place, however Sudharsan didn’t fall into that entice. He additionally added 69 for the second wicket with Hanuma Vihari earlier than the Rest of India captain spooned left-arm fingerspinner Parth Bhut to Samarth Vyas at foolish level. Bhut later removed Sudharsan and Yash Dhull to reveal the lower-middle order.

KS Bharat and Shams Mulani then made counterattacking thirties to assist Rest of India regain some misplaced floor. Uttar Pradesh’s Saurabh Kumar pissed off Saurashtra even additional with a extra sedate 30 not out.

In all, the seamers bowled simply 16 out of the 90 overs on the primary day, with the spin trio of Bhut, Jadeja and Dodiya placing in huge shifts. Rest of India even have three spinners at their disposal – Saurabh, Mulani and Pulkit Narang – and they’re going to even have a significant function to play on a pitch that may decelerate as the sport progresses.