Under a blanket of overcast skies, and despite the constant chatter from the Pondicherry fielders, Hyderabad’s left-handed duo, Rahul Singh and Kodimela Himateja, capitalized beautifully. They piled up an impressive 255 for just one wicket on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group-D clash at the CAP Siechem Ground.
Captain Rahul and Himateja, with their contrasting yet complementary batting styles, forged a magnificent 167-run partnership for the second wicket. Their stand was eventually halted not by the bowlers, but by bad light and a heavy downpour, leaving 20 overs unbowled.
Rahul Singh’s Century of Flair
Rahul, showcasing the elegant and fluid style characteristic of a left-handed batsman, reached his century off a mere 144 balls, featuring 11 boundaries and a towering six. His innings began ominously with a boundary, hinting at the onslaught to come. However, he was fortunate early on when off-spinner Jayant Yadav had him caught at silly point on just four runs, only for the delivery to be ruled a front-foot no-ball—a crucial reprieve.
After that close call, Rahul rarely offered another opportunity. He fearlessly stepped out to loft debutant off-spinner Karan Kannan for a four over cover and continued to punish the young bowler after lunch, sending him for a six straight down the ground. When Kannan erred by dropping it short, Rahul was quick to pull him to midwicket and cut him behind point for two more fours.
Seamer Puneet Datey also felt Rahul’s wrath, as the skipper drove him powerfully on the up and expertly sliced the ball through his favored cover region. Adding to the frustration of his counterpart, left-arm spinner Sagar Udeshi, Rahul executed a cheeky reverse-sweep to the fine-leg boundary. Even when Aman Khan attempted to unsettle him with a barrage of short deliveries, Rahul confidently pulled the medium-pacer to the square-leg boundary with nonchalant ease.
Himateja Joins the Attack
Himateja initially batted cautiously, reaching 23 off 77 deliveries, before taking inspiration from his captain’s aggressive approach. He then unleashed his own attack, smashing Jayant for two sixes in a single over, quickly bringing up his well-deserved half-century off 105 balls.
Earlier in the day, Tanmay Agarwal had to retire hurt on 36 due to cramps, and Abhirath Reddy was bowled by a ball that kept surprisingly low, setting the stage for Rahul and Himateja to take control.
Match Summary:
Hyderabad — 1st Innings:
- Tanmay Agarwal (retired hurt): 36
- Abhirath Reddy (b Udeshi): 35
- Rahul Singh (batting): 114
- K. Himateja (batting): 62
- Extras (lb-4, nb-4): 8
- Total (for one wkt. in 70 overs): 255
Fall of wicket: 1-88
Pondicherry Bowling:
- Datey: 10-1-46-0
- Udeshi: 17-1-64-1
- Aman: 9-0-44-0
- Jayant: 23-4-60-0
- Kannan: 8-0-30-0
- Kargave: 3-0-7-0
Toss: Hyderabad