Cricket

Mohammed Shami, the star Indian pacer, has made a remarkable comeback in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match against Madhya Pradesh. His exceptional bowling performance has reignited Bengal's hopes in the contest.Shami's mastery of seam bowling was evident as he claimed four crucial wickets in MP's first innings. His pace, accuracy, and ability to extract movement from the pitch proved too much for the MP batters. He finished with impressive figures of 4/54 in 19 overs, with an economical rate of 2.80.Among his victims were MP captain Shubham Sharma and lower-order batters Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya. Shami's wickets played a pivotal role in restricting MP to a manageable 167, giving Bengal a lead of 61 runs at lunch on Day 2.Shami's return has energized Bengal's bowling attack, which had struggled in their own batting innings, being bowled out for 228 on Day 1. His presence has provided a much-needed boost to the team's morale.However, Shami's availability for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) in Australia remains uncertain. He was initially left out of the squad due to fitness concerns. Captain Rohit Sharma had emphasized that they did not want to risk an "undercooked Shami" on the challenging Australian pitches.Despite his absence from the BGT squad, Shami's performance in the Ranji Trophy could potentially earn him a call-up. Cricket legends like Ricky Ponting believe that Shami's pace and bounce would be invaluable on the fast tracks in Australia.If Shami proves his form and fitness in this Ranji game, he could address what many see as a minor gap in India's pace arsenal. His experience and skill could strengthen the team's chances in the high-stakes series against Australia, which begins on November 22 in Perth.

After a thick blanket of smog shrouded the morning session, Haryana and Kerala engaged in a spirited day of cricket in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium.Haryana captain Ankit Kumar's decision to bowl first proved fruitful as pacer Anshul Kamboj dismissed B. Aparajith in the opening over. Kamboj and new-ball partner Aman Kumar maintained a tight line and length, forcing Kerala openers Rohan Kunnummal and Akshay Chandran to prioritize survival.The Kerala pair relied on sharp running between the wickets to counter the new-ball challenge, scoring only eight fours in their 91-run partnership. Kunnummal, the more assertive of the two, committed fully to the forward press, allowing him to drive when Haryana bowlers pitched it up. Chandran, on the other hand, stifled the opposition with assured defending.As the sun pierced through the dissipating smog, Haryana's desperation for a breakthrough grew. Jayant Yadav's introduction midway through the second session disrupted Kerala's rhythm. The off-spinner's clever variations in pace and release angle nearly got the better of both batters.However, Kunnummal and Chandran persisted with their methods, with the former reaching his fifty. Kunnummal's dismissal soon after tea, caught by Ankit at second slip off Kamboj, provided Haryana with a much-needed breakthrough.Kerala skipper Sachin Baby and Chandran saw off the rest of the day, with deteriorating light forcing an early stumps call. At the end of the opening day, Kerala had reached 138 for two, thanks to resolute fifties from Kunnummal and Chandran.

Karnataka Dominates Uttar Pradesh on Day 1 of Ranji Trophy ClashLucknow, November 13: Karnataka bowlers, led by V. Koushik, put on a stellar performance to dismantle Uttar Pradesh (UP) for a mere 89 runs on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group-C encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. The bowlers' brilliance set the stage for Karnataka's batters to take a 38-run first-innings lead.The morning haze enveloped the venue, creating a challenging environment for UP's batters. Koushik and Vidyadhar Patil exploited the conditions to reduce the hosts to five for three within the first five overs. Vidyadhar drew first blood, dismissing Abhishek Goswami, while Koushik induced Madhav Kaushik's outside edge and castled skipper Aryan Juyal in consecutive deliveries.Debutant Rituraj Sharma and Aaditya Sharma briefly resisted the pacers, but the latter was strangled down leg. Debutant fast bowler Yashovardhan Parantap joined the party, dismissing Rituraj with an angled delivery. Koushik completed his fifer with Sameer Rizvi edging behind, while the lower-order offered little resistance.Karnataka's batting faced a similar fate initially, with Nikin Jose and R. Smaran falling cheaply to Aaqib Khan. However, debutant Krishnan Shrijith played a composed knock under pressure, adding 48 runs with skipper Mayank Agarwal. Shrijith held firm amidst some poor shot-making, including Manish Pandey's tame dismissal.At the close of play, Karnataka had reached 127 for five, with Shrijith unbeaten on 68. The visitors will look to extend their lead on Day 2 and put pressure on UP.

On a gloomy day in the national capital, where play was affected by smog in the morning and bad light in the evening, Jharkhand opener Sharandeep Singh exhibited ample patience and a tight defence to compile an unbeaten 64. He consumed 183 balls, making for a slow-moving opening day between Delhi and Jharkhand in a Group D Ranji Trophy tie at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday.At stumps, the visitor reached 136 for three in the 55 overs that were possible. Jharkhand could have been in a stronger position had left-hand batter Utkarsh Singh not flicked a half-volley on leg stump from Siddhant Sharma to Yash Dhull at square leg in the final session. He had batted well until then to make 46.On a hazy morning that led to the start of play being delayed by two hours, Delhi elected to bowl. With Simarjeet Singh back from injury and Money Grewal drafted into the playing XI, the host was relying on its pacers to exploit a pitch with a smattering of grass.BreakthroughWhile Siddhant and Simarjeet shared the new ball, Grewal managed to provide the opening breakthrough early in his first spell. Having denied Nazim a run off his bowling for 15 deliveries, Grewal was rewarded when he pitched the ball full and invited a lavish drive, inducing an outside edge that was snaffled by Himmat Singh at second slip.Before lunch, Simarjeet was perhaps a tad guilty of bowling a wider line that allowed the batters to leave at their will. When he went full and straight to Aryaman Sen in the fourth over after the 40-minute interval, the ball rattled the stumps for his lone wicket.Sharandeep and Utkarsh were able to lend some solidity to the innings by stitching together a 93-run stand in 30.2 overs for the third wicket. Utkarsh drove a few times with authority through cover point and mid-off against the pacers before squandering it away with a loose shot.

Mohammed Shami's much-anticipated return to competitive cricket after a year-long absence was met with challenges as Bengal faced Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C match at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.On a greenish pitch with moisture, Madhya Pradesh elected to field and capitalized on the conditions. Aryan Pandey and Kulwant Khejroliya's four-wicket hauls restricted Bengal to a modest 228 in the first innings.Bengal's batting woes began early as Shuvam Dey was dismissed cheaply. Khejroliya then wreaked havoc, removing Sudip Gharami, Rohit Kumar, and Sudip Chatterjee in quick succession. Shahbaz Ahmed (92) and Anustup Majumdar (44) steadied the ship with a 96-run partnership, but Khejroliya broke the stand to dismiss Majumdar.Shahbaz played a rash shot and narrowly missed a century. In reply, Madhya Pradesh openers Subhransu Senapati (44*) and Rajat Patidar (41*) provided a solid start, taking their team to 103 for one at stumps.Shami, who underwent Achilles tendon surgery in February, bowled with good control but lacked rhythm. He finished with figures of 0-16 and 0-18 in his two spells.Bengal coach L.R. Shukla acknowledged the challenges Shami faced, saying, "It's never easy to come back from a surgery and bowl after a year. The more Shami plays, the better he will become."

Arjun Tendulkar, the son of legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, has achieved a significant milestone in his cricketing career by claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. The 25-year-old left-arm seamer accomplished this feat during a Ranji Trophy Plate Division match against Arunachal Pradesh at the Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground in Porvorim.In his 17th first-class match, Arjun spearheaded the collapse of the Arunachal Pradesh batting lineup, finishing with impressive figures of 5 for 25 in 9 overs, including three maiden overs. His performance was crucial in restricting Arunachal Pradesh to a mere 84 runs in 31 overs.Arjun's bowling prowess was evident from the outset as he dismissed opener Nabam Hachang in the second over of the match. Despite brief resistance from Neelam Obi (22) and Chinmay Patil (3), Arjun struck twice in quick succession in the 12th over, further worsening the situation for the visitors.By the time Arjun completed his five-wicket haul, Arunachal were reeling at 36/5 in 17.1 overs. Arunachal skipper Nabam Abo top-scored with an unbeaten 25 from 25 balls, including five boundaries, but his efforts were not enough to prevent his team from being bowled out for a paltry total.Goa's bowling attack was further supported by Mohit Redkar (3/15) and Keith Mark Pinto (2/31), who helped wrap up the Arunachal innings. Before this match, Arjun had taken 32 wickets in 16 first-class matches, with his previous best being 4/49.In addition to his bowling, Arjun has also proven to be a capable batsman, scoring 532 runs at an average of 23.13, with a century and two half-centuries to his name. This performance marks an important milestone in Arjun's career as he continues to make strides in domestic cricket.

Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign has hit a roadblock, with the team languishing in fourth place in Group D after a dismal nine-wicket defeat to Chandigarh. In an attempt to turn their fortunes around, the team has sacked Himmat Singh as captain and elevated Ayush Badoni to the leadership role.Badoni's first challenge will be to address the team's batting woes. In the loss to Chandigarh, only Yash Dhull showed any resistance, while Badoni himself fell to a rash shot after a promising start. The middle order, led by Himmat, has also been underwhelming, with the 28-year-old averaging just 30.33 in four innings.The spin department has also been a concern. Off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen and left-arm spinner Shivank Vashisth were ineffective on a helpful surface, lacking accuracy and consistency. Both have been dropped for the upcoming match against Jharkhand.Jharkhand, meanwhile, is two spots below Delhi in sixth place with just seven points. Stand-in skipper Virat Singh will be looking to lead his team to victory and improve their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages. Singh is the team's leading run-getter this season with 254 runs at an average of 42.33.The match between Delhi and Jharkhand will be a crucial test for both teams. Delhi needs a win to revive their campaign, while Jharkhand will be eager to close the gap on the top four. The match will be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi from Wednesday.

Karnataka, with nine points from four games, will face Uttar Pradesh in a crucial Ranji Trophy Group-C encounter at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Karnataka's campaign has been marred by rain, resulting in two weather-curtailed matches and a point each. Their only bright spot was an eight-wicket win against Bihar.Uttar Pradesh, on the other hand, is winless and languishes in sixth place. They suffered a heavy defeat against Kerala, crumbling for 162 and 116 in an innings-defeat. Karnataka's spin attack, led by Shreyas Gopal, will hope to exploit Uttar Pradesh's vulnerability to spin.Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal will need to find form, having averaged only 27.2 this season. However, they will be relieved to have Nikin Jose back in the squad after he sustained an injury while fielding against Bengal.Uttar Pradesh's batting has relied heavily on openers Madhav Kaushiv and Aryan Juyal, while their middle-order has not delivered consistently. International duties have depleted the pace attacks of both sides, but Karnataka has coped better, with V. Koushik emerging as a reliable spearhead.

Railways and Tamil Nadu Clash in Crucial Ranji Trophy EncounterAs the Ranji Trophy enters its fifth round, two formidable teams, Railways and Tamil Nadu, prepare to face off in a high-stakes encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. With only two points separating them in the Elite Group-D standings, this match promises to be a thrilling battle for supremacy.Tamil Nadu, led by stand-in captain N. Jagadeesan, will be without their regular skipper R. Sai Kishore, who is sidelined with a thumb injury. However, Jagadeesan remains confident in his team's ability to overcome this setback. "Everybody is motivated. The youngsters over here are pumped up and they want to do well in this platform," he said.Railways, on the other hand, has been playing some impressive cricket this season. Despite not being able to play their home matches at one ground, the experienced squad has shown resilience and determination. "Of course, it is very challenging for us. We take even a home game as an away game. So that is the mental preparation," said Railways captain Pratham Singh.Both teams have remained unbeaten so far, but a win in this match would be crucial for their aspirations. Tamil Nadu will be eager to secure a favorable result after three consecutive draws, while Railways will be keen on getting back to winning ways after stumbling to a draw against Chhattisgarh.The Ranji matches will take a break after this round, and the victor in this encounter will have the added advantage of gaining some breathing space in the tightly contested group. Currently led by Chandigarh with 19 points, the winner of this match will be well-positioned to challenge for the top spot when the domestic red-ball season resumes in late January.