Ravindra Jadeja's century and three wickets earn Saurashtra the first-innings points

Ravindra Jadeja marked his return to the Ranji Trophy with a century and three wickets as Saurashtra took the first-innings points from a drawn opener against Chhattisgarh in Rajkot

Saurashtra's first match of the season at the Niranjan Shah Stadium ended in a draw on Wednesday, with Chhattisgarh never required to bat a second time. Saurashtra's first-innings 392 against 312 was enough to claim the points on offer for the lead.

Jadeja made 102 with the bat and then took three wickets as Chhattisgarh were bowled out, the all-round contribution he had come back to domestic cricket to produce.

Chhattisgarh won the toss and chose to bowl, and for a time the decision looked a sound one.

A hundred spread across two days

Jadeja walked in at 120 for 3 and was still there at stumps on the opening day, unbeaten on 72.

He needed a further 51 deliveries on the second morning to move to three figures, finishing on 102 from 209 balls with seven fours.

It was his 16th first-class century, made in his 151st first-class match.

The innings carried him past 8,500 first-class runs, leaving him on 8,504 at an average above 44.

He was eventually caught and bowled by Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, a former Saurashtra teammate now playing for Chhattisgarh.

Mankad and Jani build the total

Harvik Desai went for 20 and Jay Gohil for 31, and Arpit Vasavada was dismissed without scoring.

Saurashtra had slipped to 151 for 4 before Prerak Mankad joined Jadeja, and the pair added 205 for the fifth wicket.

Mankad was the innings' top scorer with 129 from 150 balls, struck with 15 fours and a six.

Chirag Jani kept the lower order moving with 83 from 148 balls, including 12 fours and two sixes.

Saurashtra were bowled out for 392 in 110.4 overs.

Three wickets turn the lead

Chhattisgarh batted a long way into the match, occupying 121.5 overs for their 312.

Jadeja returned 3-40 with the ball, and the visitors finished 80 short of Saurashtra's first-innings total.

Saurashtra reached 45 for 0 by the close of the third day, an overall lead of 125.

A declaration with no time left

Saurashtra batted on into the final day and declared at 229 for 1 after 67 overs, a lead of 309.

Too little of the match remained for a result to be chased, and Chhattisgarh were not asked to bat again.

Chhattisgarh had batted for more than 120 overs in their first innings, and the time that consumed shaped the rest of the match.

The draw leaves Saurashtra with the first-innings honours from their opening fixture of the Elite Group B season.

Preparation for New Zealand

Jadeja returned to the domestic game to prepare for India's two-Test tour of New Zealand next month.

The first Test begins on November 19, with the second in Christchurch from November 27.

Before this match he had played two of the three home one-day internationals against West Indies, taking two wickets without getting an innings.

He was one of several India players filling the round. KL Rahul made 4 and 1 for Karnataka, Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for a 13-ball duck for Mumbai, and Mohammed Shami took 4-30 for Bengal.

Mohammed Siraj captained Hyderabad to an innings win over Tripura in the same round.

The match gave him 209 balls at the crease and a wicket-taking spell across Chhattisgarh's 121.5-over innings, five weeks before the first Test.

Scorecard: Saurashtra 392 (110.4 overs) and 229 for 1 declared (67 overs); Chhattisgarh 312 (121.5 overs). Match drawn, Saurashtra taking the first-innings points.

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