Jharkhand pacers rule

With nothing to benefit from their last Ranji Trophy encounter, hosts Jharkhand put up a good all-round show to take the advantage against Services on Day I at Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur on Friday. Electing to bowl first, India speedster Varun Aaron and his new-ball partner Rituraj Singh worked in tandem to account for the top order while left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and leggie Samar Quadri took two wickets each to finish the visitors’ innings for 230.
In reply, Jharkhand scored at more than four runs per over to gather 102 at stumps, losing openers Ishan Kishan (47) and Sumit Kumar (10). Aaron and Rituraj took three wickets for 46 runs each but the former bowled three overs less than his partner. It was because of the duo’s brilliant display with the red cherry that Jharkhand reduced Services to 87 for six inside 24 overs. However, two partnerships thereon helped Services avoid the ignominy of being bundled out for much less than what they actually scored.
In spite of the Services lower order’s gritty performance, Jharkhand bowlers were equally to be blame for letting their opponents off the hook as Hardik Sethi (61, 98 balls, 10x4) and Deepak Poonia (57, 90 balls, 5x4) shared a 102-run partnership for the eighth wicket to help Services go past the 200-run mark. Both of them departed in a span of three deliveries, without a single run being added to the total.
Jharkhand openers Kishan and Kumar gave them a steady start before the latter was castled by pacer Suraj Yadav when the team total was 43 in just 8.1 overs. Left-handed Kishan scored at a healthy strike rate as he hit nine fours in his 63-ball stay in the middle. At stumps, nightwatchman Rituraj (8 batting) was giving first-down Shiv Gautam (26 batting) company at the crease.
Scoreboard
Services (1st innings): S Chatterjee c Kishan b Aaron 16, Sumit Singh b Rituraj 0, A Gupta c Kishan b Aaron 1, N Verma lbw Rituraj 19, R Paliwal c Kishan b Aaron 31, Yashpal b Rituraj 1, H Sethi lbw Quadri 61, S Kumar c & b Nadeem 22, D Punia b Nadeem 57, S Yadav c Tiwary b Quadri 12, R Raj not out 0. Extras (lb 6, w 2, nb 2): 10. Total (in 59.3 overs): 230. Fall of wkts: 1-5, 2-10, 3-23, 4-45, 5-68, 6-87, 7-116, 8-218, 9-218. Bowling: Rituraj 17-4-46-3, Aaron 14-2-46-3, Kaushal 4-0-27-0, Nadeem 16-4-55-2, Quadri 8.3-0-50-2.
Jharkhand (1st innings): I Kishan run out 47, Sumit Kumar b Yadav 10, S Gautam batting 26, Rituraj batting 8. Extras (b 2, lb 5, nb 4): 11. Total (for 2 wickets in 25 overs): 102. Fall of wkts: 1-43, 2-87. Bowling: Yadav 9-1-30-1, Raj 7-0-44-0, Punia 7-1-20-0, Saurabh 2-1-1-0.