Murali Vijay, out of Indian Test team for over a year now, put Rest of India in a commanding position at stumps with an unbeaten 151 on the second day of the five-day Irani Cup cricket match against a mediocre Rajasthan attack at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium here on Saturday, says a report in The Hindu, adding that openers Ajinkya Rahane and Vijay laid a solid foundation with a 173-run first wicket stand before skipper Cheteshwar Pujara complimented their effort with a steady 78 of his own in a 153-run second-wicket partnership.
Attacking with assurance, the Tamil Nadu batsman smacked five sixes and 18 boundaries in his 257 ball knock and is still at the crease along with S. Badrinath (batting on 1).
Meanwhile on Saturday, first Rahane scored a fine 81 (off 143 balls, 12x4s) before foolishly running himself out, the only way Rajasthan looked like getting a breakthrough. Driving and pulling well, Rahane scored at a brisk rate thwarting the designs of the Ranji Trophy champion. After his dismissal Pujara joined Vijay and looked set for a big score himself before edging left arm pacer Aniket Choudhary’s second delivery with the new ball behind.
Meanwhile a report in The Indian Express says that in terms of the degree of difficulty, if not quite the importance, the Irani Cup presents Rajasthan with a challenge which is as big, if not bigger, than their breakthrough Ranji win two seasons ago, or the equally remarkable repeat last year.
“For in order to win the Cup, they will have to beat an opposition — the Rest of India team — that has annihilated the last six Ranji Champions, including Rajasthan themselves last year. But more than that disconcerting bit of history, it’s the here and now that should worry Rajasthan. In Aakash Chopra, who left the team after a two-year association, they have lost a seasoned campaigner and a guiding light, while their two key players in last year’s campaign — batsman Ashok Menaria and fast bowler Rituraj Singh — are on India ‘A’ duty in New Zealand. At the same time, the Rest of India (RoI), led by Cheteshwar Pujara, have 12 players in a squad of 14 who have represented India, in one format or another,” says the report, saying that in fact, six of the RoI players were in the squad that played two Test matches against New Zealand in August and earlier this month.
“And with at least a couple of slots up for grabs for the forthcoming England series, a few of these players will carry extra motivation to make a favourable impression on the selectors,” adds the report.
According to a report in The DNA, if Rest of India made batting look cinch on Saturday, Ranji champions Rajasthan displayed what could be termed an apology for bowling. “Buoyed by Murali Vijay’s unbeaten 151 and half centuries from Ajinkya Rahane and captain Cheteshwar Pujara, RoI were 328 for two at stumps on Day Two of the Irani Cup match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday,” says the report, adding that for Vijay, it was a good start to the season. Rahane, with an unfaltering 81, got past the 5,000-runs mark in the first class cricket.
“The Rajasthan bowling was severely handicapped by the absence of two key bowlers – Pankaj Singh and Rituraj Singh — the star performers in their successful Ranji campaign last season. Deepak Chahar, who had once rocked Hyderabad with an eight-wicket haul, was a shadow of his former devastating self. Is the 20-year-old a victim of what they call “over-coaching” or did he lose his way trying to be what he is not: a fast bowler? A knee injury forced him out of the field. He bowled just 12 overs on the day,” says the DNA report.
