The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Baroda wrests initiative

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Saturday, Nov 26, 2005

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Baroda wrests initiative

Special Correspondent

ANANTAPUR: Baroda wrested the initiative on the penultimate day of its Ranji Trophy Elite Group `B' match against Andhra at the Rural Development Trust (RDT) ground here on Friday. From an overnight score of 58 for four, it recovered to post a respectable 262 and then prised three Andhra wickets for 57 when bad light halted play more than half an hour before its scheduled close.

Standing out in the performance charts was K.S. Shabuddin's bag of seven for 83, while for the visitors Yusuf Pathan's 67, Rakesh Solanki's 65 and Kiran Powar's 53 caught the eye as well. The foundation for Baroda's fightback was laid by a 104-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Kiran Powar and Rakesh Solanki that lasted a little over three hours, especially in ensuring there were no losses in the early morning conditions.

Batsmen take charge

That the batsmen took charge became not only visible, but audible too, the middling of the ball getting more and more obvious as play progressed. Some stray bowling and the odd spilt catch found Andhra lose its grip on the contest, its attack merely restricting run-making rather than removing the batsmen.

The breakthrough took time to come, A.G. Praveen effecting an edge that uprooted Solanki's leg stump. The latter's partner, Powar, departed after lunch, caught on the wrong foot by offie Mohd. Faiq. Yusuf Pathan, as athletic as his more famous sibling Irfan, gave the home side more than its share of anxious moments, using his height to good effect, pummelling the ball off a good length to the long on fence time and again.

Cameo by Rakesh

As spearhead of the Andhra attack, Shabuddin stole the thunder, combining well with wicket-keeper M.S.K. Prasad to engineer no less than four dismissals. More than a sting in Baroda's tail came from Rakesh Patel, who cracked four boundaries and a six for his 38.

Baroda's bowling looked a lot more hostile and that it meant business became evident as Zaheer Khan claimed all three victims in the day's last session. Ambati Rayudu, making his maiden appearance for Andhra, acquitted himself honourably. Shouldering arms often, he ventured into stroke play when there was scope to do so, even hoisting a six, giving enough indication of a long stay at the crease on the morrow.

The scores:

Baroda 1st innings: Connor Williams c M.S.K. Prasad b Shabuddin 6, Satyajit Parab c M.S.K. Prasad b Shabuddin 10, Irshad Sindhi lbw b Kalyana Krishna 1, Jacob Martin b Shabuddin 3, Kiran Powar lbw b Mohd. Faiq 53, Rakesh Solanki b Praveen 65, Yusuf Pathan c M.S.K. Prasad b Shabuddin 67, Rajesh Powar c M.S.K. Prasad b Shabuddin 10, Rakesh Patel c Praveen b Shabuddin 38, Zaheer Khan c Rayudu b Shabuddin 0, Irfan Pathan Sr. (not out) 1. Extras (lb-4, nb-2, w-2) 8. Total (in 92.4 overs) 262.

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-12, 3-18, 4-23, 5-127, 6-165, 7-189, 8-251, 9-251.

Andhra bowling: Shabuddin 29.4-8-83-7, Kalyana Krishna 21-4-64-1, Suresh 6-2-22-0, Praveen 17-5-30-1, Faiq 13-1-42-1, Varma 4-1-13-0, Balaji Kishen Singh 2-0-4-0.

Andhra 1st innings: T. Suman c Sindhi b Zaheer 11, M. Suresh c Y. Pathan b Zaheer 9, Varma (batting) 14, Y. Gnaneshwar Rao lbw b Zaheer 0, A.T. Rayudu (batting) 17. Extras (b-1, lb-5) 6.

Total (for three wickets in 22 overs) 57.

Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-27, 3-27.

Baroda bowling: Zaheer 9-3-18-3, Rakesh 8-3-20-0, Powar 3-1-8-0, Pathan Sr. 2-1-5-0.

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