Shillong, Oct 14: In a dominant display, Services overwhelmed Meghalaya by an innings and 65 runs in their opening Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match held in New Delhi. Meghalaya, competing in the Elite Group A following a strong performance in the prior season’s Plate Group, faced a challenging start. Their previous Elite Group outing in the 2021-22 season was cut short due to the Covid pandemic, but this time, a full schedule awaits them among eight teams, including heavyweights like Baroda, Jammu and Kashmir, and Mumbai.
The contest began with Meghalaya winning the toss and opting to field, leading to an early advantage as their bowlers contained Services’ batsmen. Despite this, two Services players, Ravi Chauhan and Rajat Paliwal, scored centuries, helping the hosts to a formidable 402. Meghalaya’s bowlers, led by Aryan Borah’s resilient 4/90 and Ajay Duhan’s efficient 3/11, tried to contain the damage.
In response, Meghalaya’s first innings saw a collapse, losing early wickets to stand at 44/5. However, guest professionals Sumit Kumar and Anirudh B staged a recovery with crucial scores of 87 and 69, respectively, leading the team to 233. Nonetheless, they still trailed by 169 runs.
Forced to follow on, Meghalaya struggled once more, reaching only 104/9, with Dippu Sangma unable to continue due to injury. Services’ precise bowling attack ensured a swift end to the match on the fourth day.
Meghalaya now returns home for their next fixture against Tripura, beginning October 18. Tripura’s initial match against Odisha was abandoned without play due to weather conditions, and both teams received a point. This upcoming clash promises to be crucial for Meghalaya as they seek to gain momentum in this demanding group.
Original Story https://theshillongtimes.com/2024/10/15/meghalaya-lose-opener-to-services/
Category : SPORTS
Tags:
