JAMSHEDPUR, February 5: There was a big crowd at the Keenan Stadium this morning. By afternoon the stands were almost empty. With Indian captain Azharuddin back in the pavilion after only a 12-minute stay at the wicket scoring just two runs, the crowd too went home disappointed least bothering to encourage the home team, Bihar in their four-day Group C Ranji Trophy Super League clash against Hyderabad.Despite the early exit of Azhar, VVS Laxman held the innings together with a superb unbeaten century which took their score to 285 for six at the end of the first day's play.
Electing to bat, Arvind Shetty and Daniel Manohar gave a rollicking start to Hyderabad (32 in five overs). At that point, Shetty (20) played a square drive only to be caught at point by Tariq off Vineet Saxena.
Daniel Manohar (35) and VVS Laxman added 56 runs in just over 12 overs for the second wicket. Manohar, who was looking very dangerous, failed to keep low a straight drive off left-arm spinner KVPRao.
SCOREBOARD
HYDERABAD (1st innings): Arvind Shetty c Tariq b Saxena 20; Daniel Manohar c Saxena b KVP Rao 35; VVS Laxman (batting) 158; MV Sridhar c Tariq b Avinash 33; Md Azharuddin c&b KVP Rao 2; Vanka Pratap c Sunil Kumar b Tariq 20; Youraj Singh c&b Avinash 8;
Extras: (b-1, lb-2, nb-6) 9;
Total: (for six wickets in 90.5 overs) 285.
Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-88, 3-186, 4-193, 5-262, 6-285.
Bowling: Sumeet Panda 11-0-60-0, Vineet Saxena 6-1-34-1, Avinash Kumar 38.5-6-85-2, KVP Rao 22-4-62-2, Shahid Arif 1-0-7-0, Tariq-ur-Rehman 12-0-34-1.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
