All-round Rajasthan cruise to title

Rajasthan 621 (Saxena 257, Chopra 94, Srinivas 4-192,) & 204 for 5 dec (Bist 92, Prasanna 3-31) drew with Tamil Nadu 295 (Karthik 150, Rituraj 4-76) & 8 for 2 (Gajendra 2-5). Rajasthan won on the first-innings lead

Rajasthan celebrate their second consecutive Ranji Trophy title © K Sivaraman

Rajasthan became only the fifth team to win the Ranji Trophy in successive seasons, as they beat Tamil Nadu on the first-innings lead in Chennai. The defending champions had effectively won the match on the penultimate day, when they had bowled out Tamil Nadu to gain a 326-run lead. Having opted to bat again, the visitors extended the lead to 530 runs. Then to rub further salt on Tamil Nadu's wounds, Gajendra Singh trapped Yo Mahesh and Abhinav Mukund leg before in successive overs, before both teams decided to call off the match before the mandatory overs started with no outright result possible.

On Sunday, the main reason Rajasthan had not enforced the follow-on was to provide the pair of Vineet Saxena and Robin Bist the chance to get to 1000 runs in the season. Aakash Chopra did not show any inclination to stay out in the middle, at least on the evidence of his exit: he went for a pull shot from outside off, without getting behind the line of the delivery from J Kaushik. The bowler finished an easy catch after Chopra's top edge ballooned over his head.

Saxena, whose first-innings' marathon 907-minute 257 was the third-highest score this season, could add only three more runs to his total of 10 though. He was the second wicket to fall in the morning, after Chopra. He had started the innings 116 runs adrift of the landmark but was bowled trying to tap the ball away without moving his feet against a straight delivery from R Prasanna.

But Bist did not miss out - he became the 12th man in Ranji Trophy history to log 1000 runs in a calendar year. He reached the milestone by pushing a single to fine leg off Kaushik. He had already notched his second fifty of the match by hitting a nicely-timed cover drive of part-time slow bowler M Vijay. What Bist missed was his fifth century of the season, by eight runs, when he played a tired slog against Prasanna that was easily pouched by Mukund at midwicket. Still Bist, with four tons under his belt, finished the tournament with the most number of centuries.

In addition to having the top two run-makers this season, Rajasthan added one more feather to their cap when Pankaj Singh, who had taken two wickets in the Tamil Nadu innings, finished as the third-highest wicket-taker with 34 victims. Only TP Sudhindra (Madhya Pradesh, 40) and Ashok Dinda (Bengal, 37), were ahead of him.

As for the hosts, Tamil Nadu had to finish second to Rajasthan for the second straight year. Last year Rajasthan had denied the visitors a first-innings lead in the semi-final in Jaipur. This time it was much worse, as Tamil Nadu remained mute spectators all through the five days. Their biggest problem was the failure of their formidable top order, which showed no character or resilience barring the battling century from Dinesh Karthik.

The only plus point for the hosts from the final was the bowling of Aushik Srinivas, the 18-year-old left-arm spinner, who bowled a record number of overs comprising long, attacking spells that did not allow the batsmen to play their shots with freedom. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Kulkarni blames batting for Mumbai's failure

Sulakshan Kulkarni: "Tamil Nadu were a far superior team. So you had to be mentally stronger" © Fotocorp

Sulakshan Kulkarni, Mumbai's coach, has singled out the failure of his senior batsmen and their inability to adapt to the situation in the knockouts as the main reason behind the team not reaching the Ranji final. The trio of Wasim Jaffer, the Mumbai captain, Abhishek Nayar and Suryakumar Yadav not performing in the semi-finals against Tamil Nadu proved fatal and Kulkarni, in his first season as coach, did not shy away from holding them responsible.

"As far as our batting was concerned we completely played very bad cricket," Kulkarni said, highlighting the first-innings performance in the semis as the worst. After Jaffer elected to field, Tamil Nadu recovered from a critical 139 for 6, to post a healthy 359 in their first innings. In response, Mumbai failed miserably, folding up for 157.

Jaffer was unlucky to be adjudged lbw by the umpire K Hariharan, as there was big inside edge and the gully fielder leapt forward to attempt the catch. That aside, Jaffer had been struggling throughout the season, recording an aggregate of 406 runs in nine matches across twelve innings with just one century at an average of 45.11.

Jaffer, usually one of the top run-getters in the season, had failed by his own high standards. "We lost this year and one of the biggest factors was Wasim's batting," Kulkarni said. "We needed him the most in the last two matches. It was a big loss to us."

The worst of the shot selection came from the pair of Nayar and Yadav in the semi-final. What saddened their coach was how two of his best batsmen had erred at the most important juncture in the tournament.

Against Tamil Nadu, Nayar and Yadav had started re-building the innings from 14 for 3 after the Mumbai top order collapsed. But when the partnership was worth 47, Nayar opted to play a scoop in the very first over from the left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas, offering an easy catch. Yadav, too, poked at a delivery from Yo Mahesh that moved away, to nick to the wicketkeeper. Yadav had just crossed his fifth half-century of the season, but wasted an opportunity to convert into a big score. Now he would need to be happy being the third-highest run-maker this season with 754 runs.

"Yadav should have taken the responsibility when the team needed him the most," Kulkarni said. "I was a bit disappointed with Abhishek. We were 15 for 3 and around then we had a 45-50 run partnership. That time we needed a big partnership. And being a senior player Abhishek Nayar should have taken the initiative. He had played so well in the season."

Kulkarni said the gameplan went awry once Mumbai had let Tamil Nadu out of the jail. "We thought if we could bundle them out for below 200 we had a very good chance. Also, on the first day the pitch was seaming and we had our chances when they were 139 for six," Kulkarni pointed out. "But after that we did not attack the lower order and an opportunity was missed."

The Tamil Nadu lower order, marshalled by Ramaswamy Prasanna, bounced back strongly. Prasanna went on to score a brilliant ton, his second after five years, and importantly, stitch a valuable 155-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Mahesh, who scored a steadfast half-century himself. That put the visitors back on track and they did not suffer from any further stage fright.

In contrast Mumbai registered their lowest innings total of the season. In the eight completed innings so far in the season, Mumbai had crossed the 400-run mark seven times. Even in the one match they missed out, against Saurashtra, they had managed to score 360. Kulkarni was happy with the consistency they had shown until then.

Kulkarni admitted the youngsters in the squad had suffered from nerves during the knockouts. But after Mumbai had recovered from a disastrous position against Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals, Kulkarni was confident they would regroup against Tamil Nadu.

In the quarters Mumbai were in dire straits at 70 for five, but Kaustubh Pawar remained stoic to register a big hundred and Ankit Chavan hit a resolute century. But Kulkarni said the pressure in the semis was more only because Tamil Nadu were a better team "man to man". "They were a far superior team. So you had to be mentally stronger," Kulkarni said.

Kulkarni, who was appointed Mumbai coach when Praveen Amre decided to take a break after five years, said he was happy at the end of his first Ranji season. "It was quite good looking at the larger picture. We lost very badly this game," he said. "'[But] as far as the season is concerned there have been a lot of positives which will help Mumbai cricket in the future. The main thing is success of youngsters like Surya Kumar Yadav, Kaustubh Pawar, Balwinder Sandhu, Ankit Chavan and Kshemal Waingankar. This indicates Mumbai cricket is in good health."

Immediately after taking up the job Kulkarni found himself in a spot when Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai's most experienced and successful fast bowler, decided to abruptly return home after being dropped against Orissa. Agarkar found support from his Mumbai team-mate and India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who told the media that Kulkarni and Mumbai chairman of selectors Milind Rege were pulling back Mumbai cricket.

Today, Kulkarni did not want to delve on the Agarkar incident and disagreed that the issue had any bearing on the rest of the season. "That was purely a cricketing situation," Kulkarni said. "That incident is over. Had we concentrated on that issue we wouldn't have come this far."

Pressed further if the issue had any impact on the morale of the dressing room, Kulkarni provided an example to back his thoughts. "If you look at the performance even in that match, Suryakumar Yadav scored a double-hundred. Kaustubh Pawar scored a century too."

Asked if he was bothered about his future, Kulkarni laughed at the questions. He said Mumbai being a champion team, everybody expected them to win the title. "That is not news. But if we lose it is big news."

Kulkarni was happy with the state of Mumbai's bench strength, and wanted to build on it. According to him, Mumbai's lesson from the season was to work harder and be more consistent. "A lot of the youngsters play a lot of Twenty20 and it is important that these guys adapt quickly to the four-day game and play consistently." © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Agarkar unhappy about being dropped by Mumbai

	Ajit Agarkar was not happy about being left out of Mumbai's XI against Orissa © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Ajit Agarkar, Mumbai's leading fast bowler, flew back from Cuttack on the first day of Mumbai's match against Orissa because he was disappointed at being dropped from the final XI. Agarkar was part of the 15-man squad and had played in the last game against Karnataka, but following the team meeting on Monday, he was told by the trio of captain Wasim Jaffer, coach Sulakshan Kulkarni and selector Ravi Thakkar that they had decided to pick Aavishkar Salvi ahead of him.

"They did not tell me before going I am not going to be the part of the eleven. I do not expect to not play Ranji Trophy for Mumbai," Agarkar told ESPNcricinfo. Agarkar had missed Mumbai's first two games of the season with a thigh injury and went wicketless in the third-round Elite group match against Karnataka, played at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai.

"My only issue is if they had decided beforehand in Mumbai they could have easily told me and I might not have gone to Cuttack," Agarkar said. "For someone who has been around for this long, just telling him night before the match that he is not in the playing eleven is not what you accept."

Once he had decided to return to Mumbai, Agarkar followed protocol and called Nitin Dalal, the Mumbai Cricket Association secretary, requesting permission to return home. "I asked him and the team management to allow me to go. I was feeling very dejected and me sitting there in the dressing room sulking and with the young guys around would only add unnecessary pressure."

What hurt Agarkar more was that most of the selection committee, along with the pair of Jaffer and Kulkarni, had known him for a long time and he felt he deserved a call in private. "The captain knows me since last 20 years, since my school days; the selection committee chairman (Milind Rege) actually got me [a job with] Tatas; Abey Kuruvilla, another selector, has played cricket with me and Sulakshan Kulkarni has played Ranji Trophy with me. Anyone of these people could have told me before the squad left for Cuttack."

Agarkar was not worried about the potential repercussions of his decision. "I am hurt because after one match you are telling me that I have become that bad for Mumbai Ranji Trophy team then obviously there is something more to it than just cricket." According to Agarkar, he would've accepted the decision if only the selectors had called him and explained their plan in advance.

Salvi had missed out on Mumbai's last two matches - against Rajasthan as he was not well and then against Karnataka Mumbai chose to play three spinners, with Agarkar getting the nod ahead of him. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Ranji Trophy Elite Group matches begin from Nov 3

India's domestic cricket season begins with the BCCI Corporate Tournament from September 1 while the league stage of Ranji Trophy elite competition will be held from November 3 to December 24, the Cricket Board announced today.

The BCCI Corporate Tournament for the Raj Singh Dungarpur Trophy will be played from September 1-8 in Vishakhapatnam, Chennai and Bengaluru. Jaipur will host the Irani Cup game between Ranji Trophy winners Rajasthan and the Rest of India from October 1-5. The next tournament, decided by BCCI Tour, Programmes and Fixtures Committee at its recent meeting in Mumbai, is the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy, to be played at Nagpur from October 10-13.

For Ranji Trophy first division, eight teams -- Rajasthan, KSCA, Mumbai, Railways, UPCA, Punjab, Saurashtra and Orissa -- have been placed in Group A. Group B comprises of seven teams in Baroda, TNCA, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Bengal and MPCA. The knockout matches of Ranji Trophy Elite Group will be played from January 2-23 next year.

Ranji Trophy Plate group matches will be played from November 3 to December 9. The semifinals will be played from December 21-24. The winners of the semifinals will qualify for the knockout stage of the Ranji Trophy Elite Division.

In Ranji Trophy Plate Division -- Andhra, Services, Kerala, Vidarbha, HPCA and Tripura -- have been placed in Group A, while Maharashtra, Goa, Hyderabad, Jharkhand, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir will make up Group B. — PTI

Rajasthan lift first Ranji Trophy

Rajasthan 394 (Bist 77, Kanitkar 61, Bhatt 5-103)and 341 (Menaria 101, Parida 89) drew with Baroda 361 (Pinal 77, Chahar 4-79) and 28 for 4 (Chahar 3-15)

In pic: Rajasthan are jubilant after winning their first ever Ranji Trophy © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rajasthan became the newest team to etch their name on the Ranji Trophy, shutting Baroda out after taking the first-innings lead with a clinical display that didn't give an inch to the hosts on the final day. It capped an improbable season for Rajasthan, who rose from being last year's bottom-placed team in the Plate League to become Ranji champions in their ninth appearance in the final. Rajasthan's strength this season has been their ability to bat big, and today it was the lower order that batted Baroda into helpless disappointment.

For Baroda to have had a sniff, they needed to dismiss Rajasthan quickly. They eventually did bowl them out, but not before the visitors' lower order had frustrated them for almost two sessions. Though Ashok Menaria - who went soon after scoring his third century in three knockout games - and Rashmi Parida fell within the first hour, the tail defended stoutly in the company of wicketkeeper Rohit Jhalani, who surprisingly came in at No. 11. Each run was loudly cheered by the Rajasthan supporters and association officials, and as the lead grew, Baroda's shoulders drooped.

The Baroda bowlers were already tired after having spent more than 200 overs on the field over four days, and though they toiled away, the game was slowly slipping from their grasp. Murtuja Vahora steamed in, Bhargav Bhatt kept going on for 45 overs, but the others were steady at best. The bowlers' disappointment gave way to angry stares as half-chances went by the close-in fielders, and the last-wicket partnership between Jhalani and Pankaj Singh comprehensively deflated them. Jhalani and Pankaj added 59 in 153 deliveries, but it was the prolonged ease with which they milked the bowling that highlighted Rajasthan's domination.

When Pankaj was finally bowled by debutant Abhijit Karambelkar, the hosts needed an impossible 375 in 29 overs. Rajasthan were not done yet though, and Pankaj and Deepak Chahar gave Baroda a torrid time, striking thrice in successive overs to leave them reeling at 21 for 3. Chahar showcased his prodigious ability to swing the ball, getting a delivery to move away after angling it on leg stump, and Swapnil Singh could only edge it to a diving Aakash Chopra at second slip.

The teams decided to call off proceedings after 14 overs in the Baroda innings, but not before Pankaj and Chahar had once again displayed their worth as a strike pair, ending the tournament with 83 victims. There was no shame in defeat for Baroda, for Rajasthan were clearly the stronger and more experienced side. They would however, look back at the two dropped chances yesterday as the moment when they let the Ranji Trophy slip out of their hands, and Rajasthan never gave them a second look at it. The eventual champions knew they were the better team, but they also proved it on the big stage. -ESPNcricinfo

Rajasthan set Baroda big task

Baroda 73 for 1 (Kolsawala 46*) trail Rajasthan 394 (Bist 77, Kanitkar 61, Bhatt 5-103) by 321 runs with 9 wickets remaining

In pic: Bhargav Bhatt picked up five wickets but had to bowl 43 overs to get them © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bhargav Bhatt toiled his way to a well-deserved five-wicket haul, but could not prevent Rajasthan from getting close to 400, a total which looks competitive on a wicket where uneven bounce is in play, with numerous deliveries failing to rise above ankle height. Jaykishan Kolsawala led a strong reply for Baroda, but Rajasthan managed to remove his opening partner Connor Williams, and will think they hold the initiative against a line-up that is thin on experience.

That the second day saw more action after the dullness that had characterised the first was due to the batsmen taking more initiative, and the bowlers getting more help from the surface. While Bhatt was rewarded for his efforts, Murtuja Vahora got the ball to nip around and hurried the batsmen, though that was not reflected in his 36 wicketless overs that went for 108 runs.

None of Rajasthan's batsmen made a hundred, but the intent today was to look for every opportunity to score, and they added almost the same number of runs they had yesterday in fewer than two-thirds of the overs. The approach was characterised by Ashok Menaria, whose quick 45 inched Rajasthan close to the psychological mark of 400, even as the left-arm spinners Bhatt and Swapnil Singh were getting the ball to turn and bounce.

Menaria's innings was crucial as it came after Rajasthan had lost the pair of nightwatchman Vivek Yadav and Robin Bist, the latter to a ripper from Bhatt, with the score on 269. Bowling from over the wicket, Bhatt pitched one in the rough outside the right-hander's leg stump, and got it to turn sharply past the angled forward push from Bist to uproot his off stump. Like yesterday, there was turn, but it was sharper, and the unevenness of the surface showed when consecutive deliveries from offspinner Aditya Waghmode took off to reach shoulder height, the second ball beating wicketkeeper Pinal Shah as well.

Another wicket or two at that stage, and Rajasthan would have struggled to reach 350. Menaria showed the importance of being positive on this track, starting with two swept fours off Bhatt that went either side of the deep-backward square leg fielder. In the next over, he hit Waghmode for fours on either side of the wicket, and two overs later, looted 12 runs from Swapnil Singh with a six over midwicket and a four through extra cover. With Menaria dismantling the bowling and Rashmi Parida looking solid at the other end, Rajasthan added 120 runs in the first session, and were eyeing a total in the region of 450.

Baroda, who had started to wilt under Menaria's assault, came back with purpose after lunch, tying down the batsmen. Bhatt got Menaria pushing hard at one that gripped and bounced to take the inside edge, the ball then striking the pad before ending up in the hands of forward short leg.

Parida ensured Rajasthan did at least get close to 400, playing safely, but using the steer, glance and sweep to pick up boundaries. He brought up his half-century with another sweep off Bhatt, but the tail did not offer him much support. Rohit Jhalani got a beauty from Sankalp Vohra, and Deepak Chahar and Pankaj Singh went to back to deliveries that came in and were bowled, though the ball that got Pankaj did not get up above his ankle. Bhatt bowled Parida with a quick yorker-length delivery in his 43rd over for his fourth five-wicket haul in ten first-class games.

Pankaj and Chahar have formed a potent new-ball combination this season, but Kolsawala and Williams negotiated them safely. Both chose to defend the seamers mostly on the back foot. Kolsawala was a treat to watch, especially when he drove straight down the ground and through extra cover. An overly defensive approach could have played into Rajasthan's hands, but Kolsawala made sure that didn't happen.

Rajasthan did end the day on a positive note, when Williams pushed at legspinner Yadav, playing for turn where there wasn't any, and Aakash Chopra took a sharp diving chance at slip. The pressure of a final showed on Kedar Devdhar, who had got a pair in the semi-final, and looked anxious to get off the mark. But Rajasthan made him wait for 23 deliveries, and he finally got off the mark courtesy a misfield at mid-on. Rajasthan will hope the uneven nature of the track creates further doubts in the minds of the Baroda batsmen tomorrow, for whom 394 appears miles away at the moment. -ESPNcricinfo

Kanitkar, Bist build platform for Rajasthan

Rajasthan 198 for 3 (Kanitkar 61, Bist 56*) v Baroda

In pic: Hrishikesh Kanitkar scored 61 to help Rajasthan build a solid platform on the first day of the Ranjit Trophy final © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Baroda did what Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu had done against Rajasthan, opting to bowl, and just like in those two matches, the visitors built a solid platform on the first day of the Ranji Trophy final, albeit at a snail's pace. On a dry and flat wicket that, contrary to expectations, played low and slow, Rajasthan set themselves up for a big score on the second day, though captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar's late dismissal evened things out a bit.

Kanitkar and Robin Bist led a calculated batting effort, in which each of the four specialist batsman played more than 100 deliveries. The Rajasthan batsmen blunted the inexperienced Baroda attack and inched along at around two runs per over for the first two sessions. Playing themselves in was the target, and Rajasthan's intent to bat big was evident from the fact that only one boundary came in the first 20 overs. But Baroda did not possess the venom to prise out the watchful openers on the flat deck.

The wind that was expected to aid movement did not arrive, the bald wicket offered no help either, and left-arm seamer Sankalp Vohra's first delivery died down on its way to wicketkeeper Pinal Shah. Pinal ultimately stood up to two of the three Baroda seamers, Vohra and debutant Abhijit Karambelkar. Only Murtuja Vahora managed to get decent carry, running in hard whenever he was given the ball. It was too much to expect 20-year-old left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt to take the wickets on a first-day track that did not take much turn, though he toiled for 23 overs.

The openers fell against the run of play after having played themselves in. Aakash Chopra and Vineet Saxena had looked in no trouble from the outset, looking to leave as many deliveries as possible outside the off stump, and defending when they had to. Chopra, in fact, did not hit a boundary till his 64th delivery. He fell trying to sweep a delivery from Bhatt that was a touch full for the shot, and Saxena was run out freakishly, having walked out of the crease to do some gardening while the ball was adjudged to be still in play.

Coming together at 73 for 2, Kanitkar and Bist consolidated, adding 117 in a partnership that had begun to assume threatening proportions when Kanitkar fell four overs before stumps, looking for a scoring opportunity and guiding an Aditya Waghmode delivery to a diving Connor Williams at slip.

Kanitkar was the most positive of the batsmen, driving and cutting cleanly whenever he got a loose delivery, and offering a dead bat to the others. Bist was extremely cautious to begin with, remaining on 7 for 26 deliveries before he gave Waghmode a sudden charge and lifted him over midwicket for his first boundary. Both batsmen looked to step out against the spinners, especially after tea, as the ball was not coming on to the bat.

Despite Kanitkar's fall, Bist was in complete control at the other end, and his wicket will be key. If Baroda find a way to bundle Rajasthan out quickly and take strike early on Wednesday, they could make the visitors pay for their slow approach. -ESPNcricinfo

Rajasthan enter final despite Badrinath's heroics

Rajasthan 552 for 7 decl (Chopra 139, Menaria 106, Kanitkar 100*) drew with Tamil Nadu 385 (Badrinath 175) and 2 for 0
Scorecard

In pic: Badrinath's heroic effort went in vain as Rajasthan roared to their first Ranji final © ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rajasthan's dream is still alive. They couldn't dislodge Tamil Nadu's wall, S Badrinath, but dismantled the rest brick by brick to enter their first Ranji final since the 1973-74 season. The seamers, Pankaj Singh, Deepak Chahar and Sumit Mathur, sparkled on a docile track to apply the squeeze, and the legspinner Vivek Yadav ran through the lower order to shove Tamil Nadu out of the competition. Tamil Nadu, if they didn't get bowled out, had to score 272 runs in 90 overs on the final day to go through based on net run-rate but they were shot out in the last session.

For 10 hours and five minutes, Badrinath resisted everything hurled at him: outswingers, inswingers, bouncers, leg breaks, sliders, sledges, official warning from the umpire for repeatedly pulling out of strike, his team-mates' self-destructive ways, and his opponent's determined resolve. They couldn't out him at all but Rajasthan found a way around him to achieve their dream.

There was nothing in the pitch but the seamers created venom in the air to do the job. The 18-year old Chahar, playing his debut season, swung the ball both ways, Pankaj mixed his outswingers with the nip-backers, the balding Mathur punctuated his probing line around off stump with bouncers and Yadav flung in his quickish legbreaks and sliders to hustle Tamil Nadu.

It was a fascinating day's play. You could feel the pressure Tamil Nadu were under, and you could sense the intense desire and ambition of their opponents. Badrinath v Rajasthan was a riveting battle. Like yesterday, the bowlers complained to the umpires that Badrinath was not ready when they were ready to bowl. Like yesterday, the umpires chastened Badrinath. "The moment the bowler turns around, you have to be ready," Hariharan told Badrinath. "This is the last friendly warning." A visibly agitated Pankaj had a few words to say. Badrinath moved away again a short while later, as Mathur released the ball, and was handed his official warning. The heat was truly on. If it affected him, Badrinath didn't show it and knuckled down further but he was let down by his team-mates.

R Sathish, who had come in after the overnight batsman K Vasudevadas had inside-edged an outswinger on to his stumps, did all the hard work before throwing his wicket away. Chahar had him in a tangle- the big inswingers repeatedly rapped him on the pad and the outswingers kept teasing the outside edge- but Sathish fought on grittily. Every time he was beaten, he looked at Badrinath and flashed a smile. The pair saw through the first session but the self-destruction set in the second. Sathish went for a flamboyant on-the-up drive off Mathur but hit it straight to short extra cover to leave Tamil Nadu wobbling at 283 for 5.

It was in these kind of big moments that Tamil Nadu have choked in the past and more brain freeze was in store today. C Ganapathy, promoted ahead of Suresh Kumar, was peppered by bouncers from Mathur and threw his wicket away by pulling one straight to deep square-leg. Suresh Kumar hung around for a while and the pressure started to tell on everyone. When the score was 312, Badrinath charged down the track to Yadav and failed to connect but Rohit Jhalani fluffed a simple stumping. Yadav, though, kept chugging along and soon trapped Suresh Kumar lbw with a slider on the off stump line.

Enter L Balaji. He stuck adhesively to the crease for 76 minutes and was dropped on 14 by Jhalani but failed to connect with a sweep and fell lbw to Yadav. The No.10, R Suthesh, combusted spontaneously on arrival: He tried to slog Yadav and miscued it to mid-on and S Sam got into a mix-up with Badrinath and was run out by a direct hit by Robin Bist from deep midwicket to trigger celebrations in the Rajasthan camp. Badrinath trudged back in disappointment.

Rajasthan rubbed the salt into wounds by making Tamil Nadu follow-on and an over later it was all over. History was calling and the desert boys were all ears. Rajasthan now face Baroda in a final that not many would have predicted. It's been that kind of a season. -ESPNcricinfo

Rajasthan to meet TN, Baroda vs Karnataka in Ranji semis

Giant slayers Rajasthan will meet Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy semifinals at home in Jaipur while last year's runners-up Karnataka will clash with Baroda in the latter's backyard, according to the Cricket Board. Both the semi finals would be held from January 3-6, 2011.

Rajasthan, in fact, made it to the last four as one of the two qualifiers from the plate division and knocked out 39-time champions and holders Mumbai by virtue of their first innings lead in the quarter-final that ended in a draw today at Jaipur.

Tamil Nadu edged out Haryana on net-run-rate after the inconclusive weather-hit quarter-final in which even the first innings of both teams could not be completed at Rohtak.

Karnataka defeated plate division qualifiers Madhya Pradesh by five wickets at Indore while Baroda took a crucial first innings lead against Railways at home in the other two quarter-finals respectively.

The winners of the two semi finals would meet in the summit contest to be held from January 11-15. PTI

Rajasthan knock Mumbai out, to clash with TN in semis

JAIPUR: The match was all but over by the end of second day itself but Rajasthan players had to wait till Monday evening when they officially knocked out defending champions Mumbai to enter the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy. They will now meet Tamil Nadu in the semi-finals which will be played at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium from January 3-6.





Having already batted Mumbai out by the second day and further consolidating with a healthy 232 run lead by the penultimate day, it was just a case of going through the motions on the final day. Former India U-19 captain Ashok Menaria completed his maiden century. Menaria scored 121-- an innings that was studded with eight boundaries and five towering sixes. He was the last man out but only after Rajasthan has batted for another couple of hours and taken their total to a mammoth 589.

Thus Rajasthan ensured their passage in the final with a huge 337-run first innings lead. Mumbai scored 290 for one in their inconsequential second innings where Rohit Sharma (68, 72 balls, 11x4) opened with Sahil Kukreja (100 not out, 155 balls, 11x4, 1x6. But Ajinkya Rahane provided some entertainment scoring an unbeaten 102 off only 69 deliveries with 12 boundaries and three sixes. It was rather easy pickings for Mumbai batsmen as Vivek Yadav and Ashok Menaria did the bulk of the scoring.

If Rajasthan have reached where they are today, credit should go to three outstation pros Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Aakash Chopra and Rashmi Ranjan Parida who have guided a young team and instilled self belief in them that they can beat the best in the business. Not to forget the kind of defining performances they put up in crunch games. Like Chopra's triple hundred in the Plate Group semi-finals against Maharashtra or Kanitkar's timely century against Mumbai-- they have risen to the occasion. The bowlers led by Pankaj Singh also performed well within their limitations.

The emergence of a fine swing bowler in Deepak Chahar whose unbelievable debut of eight for 10 against Hyderabad will definitely be one of the highlights of this edition. If they can upset Tamil Nadu, who have had a lucky ride in the tournament so far, it will be another glorious chapter to their fairytale season.

Mumbai start as overwhelming favourites vs Rajasthan

JAIPUR: A keen tussle is on cards as an upbeat Rajasthan take on defending champions Mumbai in a Ranji Trophy quarterfinal, which starts at Sawai Man Singh stadium from tomorrow. For Mumbai, anything less than title will be considered as a failure and Wasim Jaffer's boys will try to ensure that there are not many hiccups on their road to triumph. On the other hand, Rajasthan who have performed well in the Plate Group will hope to carry the momentum as they face a formidable opposition in Mumbai.

It will be an onerous task for the Rajasthan bowlers as they face a batting line-up that boasts of battle hardened domestic pro like Jaffer who has been scoring tons of runs. There is talented Rohit Sharma who will be eager to remind the selectors that he is very much in contention for a World Cup berth.

Ajinkya Rahane, who has had quiet season by his standards will like to make most of this opportunity after being named in the 30-member probables for the World Cup. With hard-hitting players like Surya Kumar Yadav and Abhishek Nayar in the middle and Iqbal Abdulla and Ajit Agarkar to follow, Mumbai remain overwhelming favourites to win the match. However Mumbai will miss the services of medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni who is out with injury. For Rajasthan, a lot will depend on the three outstation pros.

Opener Aakash Chopra who has scored a triple hundred in the Plate semi-final, veteran Hrishikesh Kanitkar and former Orissa batsman Rashmi Ranjan Parida form the backbone of their batting. Also with all-rounder Robin Bisht and wicketkeeper Rohit Jhalani in the team, hosts' batting looks a decent one on paper. It will also be a test for young Deepak Chahar who came into spotlight after his sensational spell of eight for 10 during the first match of the season when Hyderabad were bowled out for 21. Chahar will share the new ball with India discard Pankaj Singh. Mumbai coach Praveen Amre feels that for Mumbai, the competition starts with the start of knock-out stages.

Skipper Jaffer however sounded cautious and said that they don't intend to take Rajasthan lightly. "They (Rajasthan) have been playing good cricket and that's why they have reached this stage. Their professionals have done well themselves and guided the youngsters too," said Jaffer who has scored 728 runs and is second in the list of highest run-getter behind Subramanium Badrinath of Tamil Nadu. "Playing Pankaj Singh and Deepak Chahar would be a good challenge," Jaffer said adding that Dhawal's absence won't make much of a difference. On the other hand, the Rajasthan captain Kanitkar feels that Mumbai will be under more pressure as they are favourites. "We have nothing to lose.

We are the underdogs. Though it is a big occasion for us as we have risen from the nadir to zenith but for us it will be another match," said Kanitkar. The hosts have opted for a seaming track keeping the rivals' experienced batting line-up.

Ranji Trophy round-up: Mumbai crush Gujarat

Mumbai thrashed an unimpressive Gujarat by an innings and 167 runs with a complete day to spare to pocket full six points from their four-day Group A match in Valsad.

In pic: Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer

Mumbai, who dominated the proceedings from the very first ball after deciding to bat, completed a comprehensive victory with both the batting line up and bowling department sticking to its respective roles with perfection.

The hosts, resuming at overnight score of 121 for two, were eventually bundled out for a meagre 162 in reply to Mumbai's mammoth first innings total 544.

Apart from Niraj Patel (61) and skipper Parthiv Patel (33) no other Gujarat batsmen posed any resistance before the Mumbai bowlers.

Veteran Ajit Agarkar wreaked havoc as he ran though the middle-order, picking up four wickets by giving away just 35 runs from his 18 overs. Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni also chipped in with three and two wickets respectively.

As a result of this win, Mumbai now have 20 points from five matches and are looking set to top the group.

Brief scores: Mumbai (1st innings): 544 for 3 declared Gujarat: 162 & 215 (Niraj Patel 61, Sunny Patel not out 58; Iqbal Abdulla 5-58, Ajit Agarkar 4-35).

Tamil Nadu struggle against Dinda on rain-curtailed third day

Ashok Dinda made an impressive comeback after missing a couple of matches due to typhoid as hosts Tamil Nadu could manage only 126 losing four wickets in the process against Bengal at stumps on the third day of their fifth round Group A encounter being played at the Guru Nanak College ground in Chennai.

In-form Subramanium Badrinath (33 batting, 3x4) was at the crease along with K Vasudevdas (21 batting 1x4) after Dinda (three for 33) rocked the top-order accounting for opener Abhinav Mukund (41, 81 balls, 2x4) and KB Arun Karthik (10) and rival captain Dinesh Karthik (0).

After it was a complete washout for the first two days, 41 overs of play was possible on the day as Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary elected to field keeping overcast conditions in mind.

Brief Scores: Tamil Nadu 126-4 in 41 overs (S Badrinath 33 batting, K Vasudevdas 21 batting, A Dinda 3-33, R Bose 1-34) vs Bengal.

Himachal eye upset win over Karnataka

Manvinder Bisla and captain Paras Dogra shared an unbeaten 101-run stand after early hiccups as Himachal Pradesh eye an upset victory over Karnataka in their Group B match in Dharmasala.

Chasing 286 runs for victory, wicket-keeper Bisla (54 not out) and Paras Dogra (32 not out) steadied the Himachal ship with a 101-run sixth wicket stand that came of 137 balls after the home team lost half of its side for 52 runs.

At stumps on the penultimate day of the four-day affair, Himachal were 153 for five in 40 overs and still needing 133 runs for an outright win.

Right-arm pacer Abhimanyu Mithun starred with the ball for Karnataka accounting for three Himachal batsmen giving away 51 runs, while Aditya B Sagar and Sreenath Arvind scalped a wicket each.

Earlier resuming at the overnight score of 73 for four, Karnataka rode on young Manish Pandey's brilliant 112 to score 230 in their second essay before being bowled out in 71 overs.

Brief Scores: Karnataka: 254 and 230 (Manish Pandey 112; Mohinderraj Sharma 4-52, Rishi Dhawan 4-40) vs Himachal Pradesh: 199 and 153 for five in 40 overs (Manvinder Bisla 54 not out, Paras Dogra 32 not out; Abhimanyu Mithun 3-51).

Gony, Ladda dent Orissa reply

Manpreet Gony and Sarabjit Ladda shared six wickets between them as Punjab are all set to take a huge first innings lead against Orissa in their match in Bhubaneswar.

Resuming at 25 for no loss, Orissa ended the day three at 216 for seven in reply to Punjab's huge 550 for seven declared.

Gony (3-57) and Ladda (3-44) never let Orissa batsmen built a big partnership and kept taking wickets at regular intervals to leave the hosts trailing by a huge 334-run margin.

Had it nor been a 48-run stand for the seventh wicket between Subhrajit Sahoo (batting 43) and Alok Sahoo (28), Orissa would have been in deeper trouble.

Brief Scores: Punjab (1st innings): 550-7 declared vs Orissa (1st innings): 216 for seven in 97 overs (S Sahoo 43, B Samantray 33; M Goby 3-57, S Ladda 3-44).

Hat-trick by Pawan, Delhi eye outright win

Left-arm seamer Pawan Suyal's hat-trick was the highlight of the third day's play as Delhi are firmly on sight of an outright win against Assam in a Group A match at the Roshanara ground.

Replying to Delhi's commanding total of 472, Assam were all-out for 239 in their first innings trailing by 233 runs.

Following on, they fared a shade better than their first essay ending the day at 183 for three with veteran opener Dhiraj Jadhav batting on 69 in company of Gokul Sharma (25 batting).

Brief Scores: Delhi 472 vs Assam 239 and 183-3.

Joginder, Rana script Haryana's 9-wicket win over UP

Medium pacer Joginder Sharma completed a six-wicket haul as Haryana notched up a moral-boosting nine-wicket victory over table-toppers Uttar Pradesh in their Group B match in Ghaziabad.

Joginder, who took three wickets yesterday, added three more scalps to his name today to bowl out Uttar Pradesh for 174 in their second innings on the penultimate day of the four-day encounter at the Mohan Meakins Cricket Stadium.

Haryana openers Nitin Saini (22) and Rahul Dewan (34 not out) then overhauled the 70-run target in 20 overs to bag six valuable points for the visitors and zoom to the top of the table.

Resuming at 68 for three, Tanmay Srivastava (60) notched up a well-made half century enroute to a 65-run fifth wicket partnership with Parvinder Singh (58 not out) before Sachin Rana (3-27) and Joginder brought their downfall.

Chasing 70 for victory, Saini and Dewan had no problems as the duo stitched a 45-run opening partnership before the former was caught by skipper Mohammad Kaif off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 16th over.

Brief Score: Uttar Pradesh: 167 and 174 (TM Srivastava 60, Parvinder Singh 58 not out; Joginder Sharma 6-59, Sachin Rana 3-27) vs Haryana: 272 and 72 (R Dewan 34 not out; B Kumar 1-20).

Ranji: Maharashtra 150/3 on the opening day

Kochi: (PTI) Maharashtra openers Harshad Kadiwala (24) and Nikhil Paradar(45) put on 64 runs for the opening wicket to help their side to score 150 for 3, in their first innings, before rain interrupted, in the Ranji Trophy Plate Group B match against Kerala, at the Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium, on the opening day here today. Kerala, won the toss and put Maharashtra into bat. Both Kadiwala and Paradar, did not show any urgency and batted with patience, hitting only loose balls into the fence.

The duo took the score to 64, when Kerala's medium pacer Prashant, drew the first blood by having Kadiwala caught by Rakesh for 24, which contained 2 boundaries. Sangram Ajit Adhitkor joined Paradkar and the duo took the score to 101 when Paradkar, who was batting with confidence, departed after scoring 45 which included three hits to the ropes. Medium pacer sony Cheruvathur soon struck by removing Kedar Jadav caught by hegde for 5. When stumps were drawn for the day at tea, with rain playing spoisport, Maharashtra were on 150/3 with Sangram Ajit Adhitkor batting 38 and Ankit Bavane batting 26. Brief scores: Maharashtra (first innings): 150/3 (N Paradar 45, A Bavane 26 not out, Sony cheruvathur 1/37, P Prashant 1/27, S K Nair 1/16).

Ranji: Mumbai in command against Gujarat

Valsad: (PTI) Mumbai's top-order fired in unison to steer their team to a commanding position against Gujarat at the end of the first day's play of their Ranji Trophy Group A Elite match here today. At stumps on day one, Mumbai were comfortably placed at 283 for two, with Ajinkya Rahane (54) and skipper Wasim Jaffer (47) at crease, here at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium. Electing to bat first, the visitors got off to a great start through openers Sahil Kukreja and Onkar Gurav to lay out a solid platform for Mumbai.

The duo made Gujarat bowlers toil hard as the hosts unsuccessfully tried to take wickets. Kukreja and Gurav went on to put up a 166-run stand together for the opening wicket, while completing their half-centuries each in the process, although both of them failed to reach their respective hundreds. Kukreja was the first one to depart, falling to Siddharth Trivedi after playing some fabulous shots for a well-made 81 off 150 balls, including 10 hits to the fence. Gurav also soon followed his partner into the dressing room after hitting a fine 195-ball 89 studded with nine boundaries.

However, Rahane and Jaffer did not let the advantage slip out of their hands and took over from where the openers had left, to keep Mumbai on top throughout the day. Rahane also reached his half-century today, besides sharing an unbeaten 99-run stand with Jaffer. For Gujarat, only Ishwar Choudhary and Trivedi could finish with a wicket each. Brief scores: Mumbai 1st innings: 282 for 2 in 90 overs (Sahil Kukreja 81, Onkar Gurav 89, Ajinkya Rahane batting 54; Ishwar Choudhary 1/57).

Ganguly's decision to play for Bengal gives jitters to TN

Chennai: (PTI) Former India captain Sourav Ganguly's decision to assist Bengal midway in the season in Ranji Trophy against Tamil Nadu in their fifth of seven league matches in Elite-A group has given jitters to Tamil Nadu bowlers, who have not performed to their potential so far. The four-day fifth round of league match between Bengal and Tamil Nadu starts at IIT Chemplast grounds here tomorrow.

Bengal are now in fifth position on the table with eight points from four matches. On the other hand, Tamil Nadu are in joint second spot with 10 points, along with Gujarat, behind the leaders Mumbai with 14 points. Bengal coach and former India player Woorkeri Raman has found it tough to field totally fit 11 players in earlier matches this season and Ganguly's return should help the side perform in order to push themselves up the points table. "We managed with a squad of 12 players, but I must say the boys have measured up well under the circumstances.

In this context, Ganguly's presence will definitely make an impact and hopefully, we will be able to do well," Raman said. "Against Assam, we didn't have (Ashok) Dinda who was not fit. His replacement Shami Ahmed contacted viral fever and was off the field for two hours. We had our chances, but didn't take them. Our game against Tamil Nadu is crucial for us," Raman, who was Tamil Nadu's coach for four years before shifting back to Bengal this season, added. Bengal, who are eyeing an outright win to make sure of progressing further in the tournament, might face lot of hurdles in realising it as Tamil Nadu's top and middle order batsmen have been in good nick.

Opener Abhinav Mukund (double century plus), K B Arun Karthik (century plus) and Badrinath have cracked centuries against Delhi and Saurashtra and also have decent scores in the other two matches. Despite having Ganguly, capable of performing well with both bat and ball, Bengal will miss the services of wicketkeeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha, who is with the Indian team for the ODI series against New Zealand. "Saha's replacement Sreevats Goswami for our match against Tamil Nadu has also gone home due to viral fever. So it has been a bit of struggle for us this season. But there is not much you can about it," Raman said. Tamil Nadu, meanwhile, would also be going into the match without two of their key players -- off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and opener Murali Vijay, both of whom are away on National duty against the Kiwis. However, the main worry of the hosts would be their bowling that has not clicked so far and any hope of beating Bengal depends on Lakshmipathi Balaji upsetting Bengal with some early strikes and young left-arm spinner, Aushik Srinivas finding his rhythm.

Rahane, Rohit star in Mumbai's thrilling win over Railways

MUMBAI: Mumbai overcame a late middle- collapse to beat Railways by two wickets and record their first win of the season in a thrilling Ranji Trophy Group A Super Division match on Saturday.

Chasing a victory target of 252, the hosts, who were 204 for two at one stage slumped to 237 for eight, but middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma (31 not out, 55b, 4x2) kept his nerves and in the company of Dhawal Kulkarni took the hosts home.

Resuming at overnight 22 for no loss, Omkar Gurav (30) and Sahil Kukreja (54) added a further 34 runs in nearly 11 overs, when Gurav was run-out.

From there on, youngster Ajinkya Rahane took control of the proceedings and added 97 runs for the second wicket with Kukreja, whose 217-ball effort that included five fours, ended when he was stumped by wicketkeeper M Rawat off M Suresh.

However, Rahane kept the pressure on Railways and consolidated Mumbai's position by forging a 51-run partnership for the third wicket with skipper Wasim Jaffer (25). He missed his second ton of the season when he was dismissed by Jai Prakash Yadav for a well made 94 (150b, 4x14).

Rahane's dismissal changed the complexion of the game as the experienced duo of Murali Karthik (3-69) and Yadav (3-54) triggered a collapse, with Mumbai losing six wickets for 33 runs.

But Sharma's presence paved the way for Mumbai's win, who are now at the top of group A with 11 points from three matches.

Brief scores: Railways 201 and 269 (M Rawat 76 not out, Sanjay Bangar 62; D Kulkarni 5-52, R Powar, 3-65). Mumbai 219 and 252/8 (Ajinkya Rahane 94, S Kukreja 54, Rohit Sharma 31 n.o.; M Karthik 3-69, J P Yadav 3-54).

Raje, Abdullah derail Railways; put Mumbai in control

Mumbai, Nov 17 (PTI)

Three early strikes by pacer Rohan Raje and a four-wicket haul by spinner Iqbal Abdullah helped hosts Mumbai restrict Railways to 201 on day one of the Group A Ranji Trophy Elite division match here today. In reply, Mumbai scored 42 before losing opener Omkar Gurav, trapped by Railways skipper Murali Karthik for 18 on the last ball of the day. Sahil Kukreja was unbeaten on 21 when stumps were drawn for the day. Justifying skipper Wasim Jaffer's decision to field first, Raje sent back M Suresh (1), S Bangar (4) and T P Singh (0) within the first eight overs to leave the visitors reeling at 16-3 at one stage. His figures at one stage read 4-3-4-3. Abdullah then got into the act and cleaned up the lower order to ensure that the hosts, hunting for their first outright victory, took firm control of the proceedings.

It was left to young Prashant Awasthi (61, 113b, 4x100) to stage the rescue act. Awasthi shared a 55-run stand with the experienced Yere Goud (37) for the fifth wicket and 42 runs for the sixth wicket with wicket-keeper Mahesh Rawat (13) to ensure some respectability to the Railways total. Opener B V Cheluvuraj, too, contributed to the total with a useful 38. For Mumbai, Raje and Abdullah ended with figures of 3-41 and 4-42. Off-spinner Ramesh Powar and medium-pacer Dhaval Kulkarni shared two and one wicket respectively.

The match began an hour late due to wet out field, caused by Monday's heavy rains. Brief Score: Railways Ist innings 201 (P Awasthi 31, V Cheluvuraj 38, Yere Goud 38; I Abdullah 4-42, R Raje 3-41). Mumbai Ist innings 42-1 (Sahil Kukreja 21 not out; Murali Karthik 1-16).