Nine-wicket win for Punjab

HYDERABAD: Punjab fought back to record a nine-wicket victory over Hyderabad thanks to an impressive spell by leg-spinner Sarabjit Singh (five for 39) and then a brilliant century by Ravi Inder Singh (112 n.o., 109b, 12x4) in the Ranji Trophy super league Group ‘A’ match at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Monday.

It was a pathetic batting display by Hyderabad against quality bowling by Sarabjit. He started the slide in the morning by removing Amol Shinde (43, 111, 4x4) with a typical leg-spinner’s dismissal — the ball spinning away to take the edge even as the batsman leaned forward to be caught at slip.

Big blow

Then, Sarabjit struck another big blow by cleaning up the well-set southpaw Anoop Pai (50, 143b, 5x4) with a beauty of a top-spinner which had the batsman clueless.

The two decisive blows soon saw Hyderabad being bundled out for 164 in the 10th over after the lunch break. Abhinav Kumar, Ahmed Quadri and captain N. Arjun Yadav paid dearly for their adventurism.

Punjab needed 209 runs from 41 possible overs. And, the chase was on from the beginning as opener Sunny Sohal (91 n.o., 100b, 8x4) came up with some pleasing drives on either side of the wicket.

Ravi Inder thrived on the largesse of Shinde at slip. The latter dropped him in fast bowler Ashwin Yadav’s first over with the batsman on 19.

Punjab now has 12 points from six matches while, Hyderabad has 10 from as many games with one more round to go.

The scores: Hyderabad — 1st innings: 335.

Punjab —1st innings: 291.

Hyderabad — 2nd innings: T. Suman c Kakkar b Khanna 16, D. B. Ravi Teja (run out) 4, S.A. Pai b Sarabjit 50, A. Shinde c Ravi Inder b Sarabjit 43, A. Kumar c Ravi Inder b Sarabjit 3, A. Quadri c Siddana b Sarabjit 4, M.P. Arjun c Sohal b Khanna 25, N. Arjun Yadav c A. Singh b Sarabjit 0, S.M. Shoaib b Kakkar 0, A. Yadav (not out) 7, Shiv Shanker lbw b Khanna 0; Extras: (b-2, lb-3, nb-7) 12. Total: (in 78.2 overs): 164.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-26, 3-111, 4-120, 5-128, 6-141, 7-141, 8-143, 9-164.

Punjab bowling: Gony 13-4-45-0, Amanpreet 20-8-35-0, Khanna 18.2-6-38-3, Sarabjit 23-12-39-5, Kakkar 4-2-2-1.

Punjab — 2nd innings: S. Sohal (not out) 91, K. Goel lbw b Shoaib 3, Ravi Inder (not out) 112; Extras: (lb-1, w-4) 5. Total: (for one wkt. in 36.2 overs) 211.

Fall of wicket: 1-14.

Hyderabad bowling: Shoaib 7-1-36-1, Arjun 3-0-23-0, Ashwin 6-0-40-0, Shinde 2-0-13-0, Shivshanker 10.2-0-54-0, Ravi Teja 1-0-7-0, Quadri 2-0-13-0, Suman 3-0-14-0, Anoop 2-0-10-0. — Principal Correspondent