Chandigarh, Oct 25 (PTI) Ruturaj Gaikwad continued his scintillating form with a sublime century as Maharashtra posted 313 before being bowled out against Chandigarh on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B clash, here on Saturday.
Opener Arshin Kulkarni (50 off 55 balls) and Saurabh Nawale (66) also made valuable contributions with half-centuries.
After Maharashtra suffered early setbacks with the dismissals of opener Prithvi Shaw (8) and Siddesh Veer (7), Gaikwad (116 off 163 balls) held the innings together with poise and authority.
He stitched a crucial 152-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Nawale, stabilising the innings before Chandigarh left-arm spinner Raman Bishnoi struck, removing Nawale and Jalaj Saxena in quick succession.
Undeterred, Gaikwad found support in Vicky Ostwal and together they ensured Maharashtra crossed the 300-run mark.
Gaikwad’s 163-ball innings was studded with 15 boundaries.
Medium pacers Jagjit Singh and Abhishek Saini shared six wickets between them, while spinners Vishu Kashyap and Bishnoi chipped in with two wickets each to keep Chandigarh competitive.
In Shimoga, hosts Karnataka reached 222 for 5 in 69 overs, with Karun Nair anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 86 against Goa.
Making a return to the side after a two-season hiatus, Nair brought up his half-century for his second in as many games. He combined with Shreyas Gopal (48 not out) to forge an unbroken 94-run partnership that steadied the innings.
In Rajkot, Saurashtra reached 258 for 8 in 82.3 overs against Madhya Pradesh, powered by opener Chirag Jani’s patient 82 off 138 balls. India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja fell for 36, which included four boundaries and a six.
Spinner Kumar Kartikeya was the pick of the bowlers for MP, finishing with figures of 4/84 on the opening day.
In New Chandigarh, opener Harnoor Singh scored a patient 126 off 259 balls to take Punjab to 240 for 6 against Kerala.
Brief Scores: Maharashtra 313 all out in 85.5 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 116; Sauarbh Nawale 66, Arshin kulkarni 50; Abhishek Saini 3/55, Jagjit Singh 3/79) against Chandigarh.
Karnataka 222 for 5 in 69 overs (Karun nair 89 not out; Shreyas Gopal 48 not out; Arjun Tendulkar 3/47) against Goa.
Saurashtra 258 for 8 in 82.3 overs (Chirag Jani 82; Kumar Kartikeya 4/84) against Madhya Pradesh.
Punjab 240 for 6 in 87 overs (Harnoor Singh 126; Nedumankuzhy Basil 2/44) against Kerala. PTI APA DDV
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