New Delhi: It was a day of heartbreaks for Indian star batters who fell victim to the dreaded nervous 90s in the last round of the Ranji Trophy.
Seasoned batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane and young star Ayush Badoni narrowly missed out on centuries in their respective Ranji Trophy final group-stage matches on Friday.
Pujara agonisingly missed what would been his 67th First-Class century by just a run after being dismissed for 99 against Assam. It was a heartbreaking end to a well-compiled innings.
Elsewhere, Rahane, having resumed the day on 83, departed for 96 against Meghalaya. While he missed the century by just 4 runs, the innings was a welcome return to form for Rahane, who notched up his maiden half-century of the season.
Meanwhile in Delhi, where fans missed out on a Virat Kohli masterclass were treated to a spectacular knock by skipper Badoni, who rescued Delhi from choppy waters. Coming out to bat after the fall of Kohli (6), Badoni played a counter-attacking knock to stun the Railway bowlers.
In Bengaluru, Karnataka captain Mayank Agarawal suffered a similar fate and was dismissed for 91 against Haryana.
Crucial knocks by Badoni, Pujara and Rahane
Badoni showed his full range and hit the bowlers all across the park, racing towards the milestone but his innings was halted by Karn Sharma just before the three-figure mark. Badoni’s 99 came off just 77 balls including 12 boundaries and three sixes.
With Saurashtra, Delhi and Mumbai in a must-win situation, all three batters – Badoni, Pujara and Rahane – made useful contributions for their teams. While Saurashtra and Mumbai have a chance to secure knockout berths, Delhi’s chances of progression are all but over.
Just like Rahane, who returned to form with the 96-run knock, Pujara’s innings was also timely. Pujara has struggled for consistency this season, which had witnessed just one big score – 234 against Chhattisgarh.
The Ranji Trophy witnessed a day of near-misses for several Indian batting stars. Cheteshwar Pujara (99), Ajinkya Rahane (96), Mayank Agarwal (91), and Ayush Badoni (99) all fell agonizingly short of centuries in crucial matches. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
