Team Rajasthan’s batting has put a question mark on the credibility of the famous adage — change is the only constant. Season after season, the script of the team’s perennial struggle with batting blues has remained the same.
Team Rajasthan’s batting has put a question mark on the credibility of the famous adage — change is the only constant. Season after season, the script of the team’s perennial struggle with batting blues has remained the same.
Playing their second match of the Ranji Trophy season 2017-18, Rajasthan made a jittery start yet again against Jharkhand at the SMS Stadium. After being made to bat first, the hosts lost the services of the opener Dishant Yagnik after he was retired hurt. The centurions of the last two games Robin Bist (9) and Rajesh Bishnoi sr (14) too showed little resilience and were sent packing by the visitors’ spearhead bowler Ashish Kumar.
Jharkhand exploited the benefit of winning the toss, making judicious use of the virgin pitch, challenges of which were hard to cope for a batsman. Bowlers made inroads into the Rajasthan batting line-up as another opener Amit Gautam along with Ashok Menaria gradually started laying the platform. The moment their partnership began to flourish, the flamboyant southpaw Menaria after scoring 50 departed again after failing to convert a decent start into three-digit score. Mahipal Lomror’s (1) presence was not even felt. In dire straits, Tejinder Singh Dhilon joined Gautam when the score was 94 for 4 and both carried the day for Rajasthan. On his way to 100, the opener batted as if he was meditating. Every shot was a well thought execution of skill and he played every ball on its merit. He took 233 balls to reach his century. Dhillon, who played the second fiddle, added pace to the partnership and at the end of the day’s play, he was at 66*. How the two batters will respond after they resume innings on day-2 will have a bearing on how the game takes shape. The first day’s score of 250 is not going to serve the purpose.
Brief Score
Rajasthan batting: AV Gautam 103*, TN Dhillon 66* Jharkhand Bowling: A Kumar 2 for 48, K Singh 1 for 50
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