Anikethreddy and Readdi hold firm as Hyderabad beat Chhattisgarh by one wicket

Hyderabad chased down 259 with their last pair unbeaten at the crease to beat Chhattisgarh by one wicket in Elite Group B of the Ranji Trophy

Hyderabad reached 259 for 9 in 79.4 overs at the Gymkhana Ground on Thursday, winning a match Chhattisgarh had held for most of the fourth day and very nearly closed out with the ball.

Anikethreddy was unbeaten on 39 from 56 balls and Rakshann Readdi on 15 from 66 when the winning runs came. The two were together with nine wickets down and ten runs still to get.

Both had done the work that gave Hyderabad a target at all, taking six wickets between them as Chhattisgarh batted a second time.

A first-innings lead of four

Chhattisgarh won the toss, chose to bat and were dismissed for 284 in 90.1 overs. Hyderabad answered with 280 in 86.1, and the four runs between the two totals set the terms for everything that followed.

Hyderabad's innings ended on the third morning, Jayant Yadav trapping Tanay Thyagarajan lbw to leave Chhattisgarh a lead in single figures.

With so little in it on first innings, the match was always going to be settled by whoever batted better the second time.

Verma and Desai rebuild the second innings

Chhattisgarh lost three wickets for 47 when they batted again, and for a time it looked as though Hyderabad would be chasing very little.

Mayank Verma and Sanjeet Desai then added 115 for the fourth wicket. Verma made 81 from 111 balls with eight fours and a six.

The stand carried Chhattisgarh from 47 for 3 to 162 for 3 and swung the innings back their way. Desai made 51 in support before Hyderabad worked their way back through the middle order.

Rakshann Readdi finished with 3-45, Anikethreddy with 3-68 and Ruthik Mende with 2-35. Chhattisgarh were 199 for 9, a lead of 203.

A last-wicket stand sets the target

Dev Aditya Singh and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja then added 55 for the tenth wicket, Jadeja making 38 from 37 balls.

Chhattisgarh were out for 254 in 68.4 overs, and Hyderabad were set 259 to win.

Those 55 runs were close to decisive. Hyderabad lost two wickets in the few overs left on the third evening and began the final day on 13 for 2, needing 246 more.

Seven wickets on the final day

Chhattisgarh took seven wickets across Thursday and leaned on two bowlers to do it. Jadeja sent down 32 of the 79.4 overs Hyderabad batted and finished with 2-87; Yadav bowled 22.4 and took 2-66.

Hyderabad were made to bat for close to 75 overs on the final day. The target came down in ones and twos rather than in any passage of quick scoring, and the chase never ran away from either side.

Once the ninth wicket had gone Hyderabad were 249 for 9, still ten short, and Chhattisgarh were a single delivery from the win.

The last pair hold on

Readdi occupied the crease for 66 balls for his 15, holding one end while Anikethreddy scored at the other.

Readdi struck a six off Yadav late in the chase, one of the few blows Hyderabad landed in the closing overs, and the rest came in singles.

Hyderabad got home in 79.4 overs with one wicket standing, having trailed by four on the first innings and started the day 246 adrift.

Chhattisgarh are left with the knowledge that their own last-wicket stand set a target their bowlers could not quite defend.

Scorecard: Chhattisgarh 284 (90.1 ov) and 254 (68.4 ov); Hyderabad 280 (86.1 ov) and 259 for 9 (79.4 ov). Hyderabad won by one wicket.

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