Ranji Trophy: Pankaj Singh bowls Rajasthan to strong position against Baroda

Pacer Pankaj Singh ran through the Baroda top-order to restrict the visitors to 163 for six on the opening day of their Group B Ranji Trophy match in Jaipur on Monday.

Considering they were out of contention for a knock-out berth, Rajasthan made four changes to the squad and fielded three debutants in Suryaprakash Suwalka (batsman), Azim Akhtar (wicketkeeper) and Naman Kataria (pacer). Injured captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar dropped himself from the match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

Baroda were put into bat and in the third over of the morning, Pankaj (4/60) struck a double blow. The third ball of the second over, he trapped opener Dhiren Mistry (4) LBW. The final delivery was pitched marginally outside the off stump. Abhimanyu Chouhan (2) decided to leave the ball and was nastonished to see his off stump sent cartwheeling.

Pankaj was putting pressure on the batsmen with his relentless approach. Opener Saurabh Wakaskar (17) failed to read the line of a fast incoming delivery and was hit on the back pad, becoming Pankaj's third victim of the morning.

After the top-order collapse the onus was on the Pathan brothers to rescue Baroda -- captain Yusuf and Irfan. But Irfan only made eight before offering a simple catch to the cover fielder off left-arm pacer Aniket Choudhary.

Disappointingly for Baroda, Yusuf (1) also failed and gave Pankaj a catch at mid-off off the leading edge while trying to push a delivery from Deepak Chahar to the on-side. Only Aditya Waghmode (batting 79) stood resolute and made his second fifty in consecutive matches. Waghmode made use of the bad balls or lengths offered by the Rajasthan bowlers and led Baroda's fightback. His 74-run partnership with Pinal Shah (30) for sixth wicket saved the visitors more embarrassment.

Pankaj was the man who broke the partnership, Shah falling prey to a set-up, out for an LBW. Abhijit Karambelkar was giving company to Waghmode on 11 at the draw of stumps.

Brief Scores:

Baroda: 163 for 6 in 50 overs (Aditya Waghmode batting 79; Pankaj Singh 4/60).