Round 7 of the Ranji Trophy ended today (February 19) and here’s how the India team contenders fared in their latest league games.
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Shivam Dube: Dube scored his fourth first-class hundred and second of the season when he struck an unbeaten 121 in the first innings against Assam. Walking out at 60-4, Dube made a quickfire hundred, with his innings containing 11 fours and five sixes. It helped his side win by an innings and 80 runs.
Ajinkya Rahane: Rahane was in the news for being dismissed obstructing the field against Assam when he was on 18, which was later withdrawn by the rivals. Rahane was unable to make the most of his chance, adding four more runs. The discard India batter has been unable to leave a mark this season, scoring 112 runs in eight innings at an average of 16 with one fifty in eight innings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad: Gaikwad, who was recently picked in India’s Test squad for the South Africa series fell four runs short of a hundred in his first game after injury. He amassed a total of 100 runs in the game making an unbeaten four in the second innings as Maharashtra drew the game against Services.
Abhimanyu Easwaran: The Bengal opener has been in and around the Indian team for a while and continues to show why he is a serious performer. Easwaran scored a double ton against Bihar and has notched up 50-plus scores in three successive innings.
Shardul Thakur: The all-rounder picked up a match-haul of ten wickets against Assam, with 6-21 in the first innings that helped dismiss the rivals to 84. Thakur, who often plays for India when they tour overseas, picked up his 14th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket in 79 matches. His match figures of 10-52 are his career-best.
Cheteshwar Pujara: Unlike Rahane, Pujara has been in stunning form this Ranji Trophy season and continued his fine run with his second successive hundred. Pujara, who started the season with an unbeaten 243, went on to score 49, 43, 43, 66 and 91 in his following five innings. After twin failures against Maharashtra, he bounced back with 110 and 25 against Rajasthan and another century in the latest round. He now has 781 runs at an average of 78.10.
Mukesh Kumar: Mukesh, who played the second India-England Test and was rested for the recently concluded third Test, grabbed a career-best ten-wicket match-haul against Bihar. The Bengal quick took 4-18 in the first innings before taking 6-32 in the second to help his team to an innings win.
Prithvi Shaw: Shaw scored 159 and 45 in his second professional game after a long injury lay-off last week, and made 30 in 26 balls against Assam this time around.
Saurabh Kumar: Saurabh, who was picked as a replacement for Ravindra Jadeja for the second Test against England, showed his all-round skills against Chhattisgarh, picking up five wickets and also hitting a half-century. Playing for Uttar Pradesh, Kumar picked up 5-95 in the first innings and then rescued Uttar Pradesh after they fell to 14-2. He also got two wickets in the second innings.