Ranji Trophy: Baroda Inflict Innings Defeat On Meghalaya; Kumar Kushagra Stars For Jharkhand

Left-arm spinner Ninad Rathva came up with career-best match figures as Baroda crushed Meghalaya by an innings and 261 runs in under two days to earn a bonus point in their Ranji Trophy Group A match Thursday. If day one belonged to off-spinner Mahesh Pithiya, who grabbed 6/25 to dismiss the opponents for just 103 runs, Rathva wreaked havoc in the second innings, returning figures of 6/28 as the opponents were bundled out for 78 in just 17.5 overs. Rathva, 25, recorded match figures of 7/59, his best in the 14 first-class game he has played so far, while Mahesh added three more wickets to his first-innings haul of six to also finish with his career-best match haul of 9/71.

On a wicket that assisted turn, Baroda pressed the two spinners into service immediately after completing their innings at 442 early on day two. With a massive first-innings lead of 339 runs, Baroda went for the kill and, to their delight, saw the rival batters falling like ninepins.

A total of four Meghalaya batters went for duck, while five had single-digit figures with the injured last batter unable to take the field.

Former Baroda player Arpit Bhatewara, who now plays for Meghalaya, fought a lonely battle before he was finally dismissed by Rathva for 46 off 48 balls.

Earlier, Baroda, commencing at their overnight score of 308 for 6, flayed the feeble Meghalaya attack before being dismissed for 442 in 71.3 overs.

Overnight batter Shashwat Rawat, who was batting on 90, completed his century before he was dismissed for 121 off just 128 balls as Baroda crossed the 400-run mark. Rathva played an unbeaten cameo of 33 (19 balls) as the hosts made a mockery of the Meghalaya attack.

Kumar Kushagra's brisk ton takes Jharkhand to 356/9 vs Delhi

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