Ongole (AP): Saurashtra took control of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Andhra by dismissing the hosts for 136 for a massive 283-run first- innings lead here Saturday.
By stumps on the third day, the visiting team extended the advantage by reaching 93 for 2 in their second innings.
Resuming on overnight 40 for 2 in response to Saurashtra’s first-innings total of 419, opener CR Gnaneshwar (43) and Ricky Bhui (28) put on 53 runs for the third wicket.
The two looked assured while negotiating the Saurashtra attack led by skipper Jaydev Unadkat, who was the best bowler for the visiting team, picking up 4 for 42.
Though they found runs hard to come by, Gnaneshwar and Bhui were willing to grind it out and scored when the bowlers erred in line and length.
Left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja broke through when he had Gnaneshwar caught behind by Avi Barot. The wicketkeeper was in action again as he caught Bhui two runs later off Chirag Jani’s bowling.
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3/27) and Jani (2/14) blew away the middle and lower-order to put Saurashtra in the driver’s seat. As a result, Andhra capitulated from 117 for 4.
Unadkat finished things off by getting the wicket of Andhra captain K S Bharat (26). He had on Friday removed opener D B Prasanth (1) and Jyothisaikrishna (17) to put the home side in trouble.
Saurashtra did not enforce the follow-in despite the huge lead and suffered an early setback in the second innings when opener Harvik Desai (0) was bowled by Mohmmad Rafi off the first ball.
Kishan Parmar (12) too did not last long, falling to C V Stephen. Barot (44 batting) and Vishvarajsinh Jadeja (35 batting) saw the team through without any further damage.
Brief scores:
Saurashtra 419 all out in 146.5 overs (Chirag Jani 121, Perak Mankad 80, Vishvarajsingh Jadeja 73, Sheldon Jackson 50; Prithvi Raj Yarra 3/51, KV Sasikanth 3/149) and 93/2 in 33 overs (Avi Barot 44 batting, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja 35 batting) vs Andhra 136 all out in 78.2 overs (C R Gnaneshwar 43, Ricky Bhui 28, KS Bharat 26; Jaydev Unadkat 4/42, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 3/27).
PTI