NatiKing

Ranji Trophy: It’s advantage Himachal on day two

An enterprising knock from middle-order batsman Ankit Kalsi (99 n.o., 138b, 15x4), and a staid, stoic effort from opener Raghav Dhawan (71, 191b, 11x4) helped Himachal claim the crucial first-innings lead on the second day of its Ranji Trophy contest against Tamil Nadu.

Towards the end of the day, Rishi Dhawan scored an attacking half-century (71 n.o., 82b, 13x4) against a tiring attack to help take the lead to 113 runs.

Taking a leaf out of its opposition’s books, and trying to make use of the helpful conditions, fast bowlers M. Mohammed, T. Natarajan, Abhishek Tanwar and Vijay Shankar toiled for much of the day. The wickets were, however, harder to come by for Tamil Nadu’s seamers, as compared to Himachal’s on the first day.

Plays and misses, and caught-behind and lbw shouts were numerous. Wickets arrived too, but not in clutches. Moreover, the loose deliveries did not go unpunished; Gangta and Kalsi, in particular, punished deliveries pitched up, or short and wide.