Rajbar and Lomror push Rajasthan 47 ahead after a 20-wicket opening day at Dharamsala

Rajasthan have turned a first-innings collapse into a 47-run lead at Dharamsala, where 20 wickets fell on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy meeting with Himachal Pradesh

Rajasthan won the toss, chose to bat and were dismissed for 78 in 30.3 overs in the Elite Group D fixture at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, with Abhishek Kumar taking 5-14 for the hosts.

Himachal Pradesh fared only a little better. They were bowled out for 153 in 40 overs, Sahil Diwan returning 5-50, and a first-innings lead of 75 was all the hosts had to show for a day on which 20 wickets fell.

That deficit was gone by the lunch interval on the second day. An unbroken second-wicket stand of 95 between Rohan Rajbar and Mahipal Lomror carried Rajasthan to 122 for 1 in 33 overs and a lead of 47.

Rajasthan undone inside 31 overs

Having elected to bat, Rajasthan lasted 30.3 overs. No stand of substance developed, and the innings closed on 78 — the lowest completed total of the round.

Abhishek Kumar did most of the damage, finishing with five wickets for 14 runs from a spell that accounted for half the side.

At that point the match looked set to run away from the visitors. Himachal Pradesh needed only a competent batting effort to build a commanding position.

Diwan answers with a five-for

They did not get one. Himachal Pradesh were dismissed for 153 in exactly 40 overs, so both first innings were finished on the opening day.

Sahil Diwan claimed 5-50, keeping the deficit to 75 rather than something closer to 200 and leaving the match live.

Only Ankush Bains passed fifty for the hosts, making 56. Around him the innings offered little, and Rajasthan were batting again before the close.

Twenty wickets on the opening day

The two first innings together took 70.3 overs and produced 20 wickets for 231 runs, an average of 11.5 runs per wicket.

Rajasthan reached stumps on 8 for 0 in their second innings, still 67 behind, with the match finely balanced rather than decided.

It is the fourth round of the Ranji Trophy, and across the 19 matches in progress no other completed innings has fallen below 135.

Nothing in the first-day figures suggested either line-up had worked out the surface. The second morning was the first time in the match that one of them did.

Rajbar and Lomror restore order

Rajasthan lost Sachin Yadav for 9 from 30 balls, caught by Vaibhav Kalta off Arpit Guleria, with the score 27 for 1 in the eighth over.

Rajbar and Lomror then batted through to lunch without further loss. Rajbar was unbeaten on 58 from 100 balls with six fours; Lomror was 47 from 68, also with six fours.

Guleria was the most economical of the Himachal bowlers, with figures of 10-0-32-1. Mukul Negi had conceded 17 from three overs without reward.

Their stand of 95 was already the largest partnership of the match, and more than Rajasthan had managed across their entire first innings.

What the lead is worth

A 47-run lead with nine second-innings wickets standing is a substantial advantage on a pitch that has produced 21 wickets in 103.3 overs.

Himachal Pradesh, who have batted once for 153, need to break the partnership before the lead becomes the decisive margin in a low-scoring match.

Two days remain in the Group D fixture, which is scheduled to finish on 5 November.

Scorecard: Rajasthan 78 (30.3 overs; Abhishek Kumar 5-14) and 122 for 1 (33 overs; Rohan Rajbar 58*, Mahipal Lomror 47*) lead Himachal Pradesh 153 (40 overs; Ankush Bains 56; Sahil Diwan 5-50) by 47 runs.

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