New Delhi [India], January 22 : The opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite fixures delivered high-quality action across venues, including Sarfaraz Khan and Siddhesh Lad's centuries, Yash Rathod's unbeaten century for Vidarbha, Harpreet Brar and Jalaj Saxena producing match-turning bowling spells, and Venkatesh Iyer and Sudip Chatterjee leading the charge with the bat for Bengal.
On the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D clash between Mumbai and Hyderabad, Mumbai asserted their dominance, finishing the day at a formidable 332/4. Despite losing the toss and being put in to bat, Mumbai overcame a shaky start that saw them reduced to 82/3. The recovery was led by a magnificent, unbeaten century from Sarfaraz Khan and a disciplined ton from Siddhesh Lad, who together forged a massive 249-run partnership for the fourth wicket to deflate the Hyderabad bowling unit.
Sarfaraz Khan smashed an unbeaten 142 off just 164 balls, including 11 boundaries and 5 sixes. Siddhesh Lad scored a well-crafted 104 off 179 balls. Although Lad was dismissed late in the day, the pair's effort has left Mumbai in a commanding position to post a massive first-innings total.
In the Andhra vs Vidarbha clash, Vidarbha ended the day finishing at 267/7 after 81 overs. After choosing to bat first, Vidarbha faced early pressure from the Andhra bowling attack, which managed to make inroads and reduce them to a precarious 48/4. However, the innings was salvaged by a brilliant, resilient century from Yash Rathod, who anchored the middle order and navigated the side through the tricky phase. Rathod's unbeaten 104 off 176 balls was the cornerstone of the Vidarbha fightback.
The Ranji Trophy clash between Saurashtra and Punjab witnessed a dramatic collapse of 23 wickets, leaving the match precariously balanced. The highlight of the day was a sensational bowling performance by Punjab's Harpreet Brar, who tore through the Saurashtra lineup to claim a brilliant 6/38 in the first innings, skittling the hosts for just 172. However, the star-studded batting lineups on both sides struggled immensely. Punjab's captain Shubman Gill endured a nightmarish day, falling for a two-ball duck after being trapped LBW by Parth Bhut. Saurashtra's veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also struggled with the bat, managing only 7 runs, though he later made an impact with the ball by picking up two crucial wickets as Punjab were bundled out for 139 in response.
By the close of play, Saurashtra had already begun their second innings and reached 24/3, extending their overall lead to 57 runs.
Madhya Pradesh battled through a disciplined Karnataka bowling attack to finish the day at 244/5. After electing to bat first, Madhya Pradesh saw steady contributions from their top order, but the standout performer was Venkatesh Iyer, whose aggressive and fluent 87 off 135 balls gave the innings its much-needed momentum. Iyer struck 12 boundaries, anchoring the middle order and taking the attack to the bowlers before falling to Vijaykumar Vyshak. His knock was the driving force behind Madhya Pradesh's total, especially as the Karnataka bowlers, led by Vyshak (2 wickets) and Shreyas Gopal (2 wickets), kept things tight and struck at regular intervals to ensure the game remained evenly poised.
Bengal reached a strong position against Services, ending the day at 340/4. The highlight of the session was a dominant opening stand of 151 runs between Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sudip Chatterjee. Easwaran looked in sublime touch, scoring a fluent 81 off 152 balls (including 9 boundaries, 1 six), before his innings came to a bizarre and unfortunate end; he was run out after stepping out of his crease to head for a drinks break, mistakenly believing the ball was dead.
While his dismissal was the talking point of the day, the solid foundation allowed Sudip Chatterjee to anchor the rest of the innings with a brilliant unbeaten 140, ensuring the hosts maintained control despite the unusual loss of their captain.
Veteran off-spinner Jalaj Saxena scripted history as Maharashtra dismantled Goa for a modest 209.
The day belonged entirely to Saxena, who produced a masterclass in spin bowling to claim a magnificent 6/79. In doing so, he reached the monumental milestone of 500 first-class wickets. By the close of play, Maharashtra's openers safely negotiated the remaining five overs to finish at 19/0, trailing by 190 runs and firmly holding the upper hand thanks to Saxena's historic feat.