Amandeep played with purpose to emerge Chhattisgarh’s saviour.
| Photo Credit: File photo: EMMANUAL YOGINI
Resilience defined the final day of the Elite Group-D Ranji Trophy encounter at the Gymkhana Ground here on Sunday, as Chhattisgarh withstood sustained pressure to deny Hyderabad a victory and force a draw.
Trailing by 248 runs and with eight wickets in hand, the visitor began the fourth day —cautiously. Anuj Tiwari and Amandeep Khare put a premium on survival, adding just 59 runs in the first 20 overs.
Coming close
Hyderabad came close to a breakthrough when Aniketh Reddy induced an edge off Anuj’s bat, only for the ball to drop inches beyond wicketkeeper Pragnay Reddy’s outstretched gloves. Undeterred, Aniketh persisted with his probing line and length and was rewarded a few deliveries later, as Abhirath Reddy pouched a sharp catch at leg slip to end Anuj’s stay.
With the pitch offering some turn, skipper Mohammed Siraj deployed spinners Aniketh and Tanay Thyagarajann from both ends – a move that paid immediate dividends. By lunch, Chhattisgarh had lost four more wickets.
The slide continued after the break, Aditya Sarwate departing two overs into the afternoon after Rahul Singh held on safely at second slip.
Hyderabad’s confidence surged. Holding a 130-run lead and needing only two more wickets, a decisive result appeared only a matter of time. Amandeep and Dev Aditya Singh, however, had other ideas.
Composure and clarity
Displaying composure and clarity, the pair combined stout defence with calculated aggression. Boundaries flowed without undue risk, and Amandeep brought up a deserved century with a sweep to the fence. Dev Aditya matched him in resolve, reaching his fifty in an innings highlighted by 11 boundaries.
Hyderabad threw everything it had at the pair — pace, spin, close catchers and constant changes. But Amandeep and Dev Aditya stood firm for 43.1 overs and turned what seemed like a lost cause into a memorable rearguard effort.
As the shadows lengthened and hope faded, the inevitable handshake followed.
The scores:
Chhattisgarh — 1st innings: 283.
Hyderabad — 1st innings: 631
Chhattisgarh — 2nd innings: Ayush Pandey c Pragnay b Rakshann 24, Anuj Tiwari c Abhirath b Aniketh 88, Sanjeet Desai c Aman b Siraj 0, Amandeep Khare (not out) 176, Vikalp Tiwari c Pragnay b Thyagarajann 10, Mayank Verma c Rahul Singh b Aniketh 1, Prateek Yadav lbw Thyagarajann 4, Sahban Khan c Rakshann b Thyagarajann 0, Aditya Sarwate c Rahul Singh b Aniketh 7, Dev Aditya Singh (not out) 79; Extras (w-2, b-8, nb-4, lb-8): 22; Total (for eight wkts. in 122 overs): 411.
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-42, 3-167, 4-182, 5-191, 6-201, 7-201, 8-218.
Hyderabad bowling: Siraj 19-4-62-1, Thyagarajann 42-8-114-3, Aniketh 43-4-147-3, Rakshann 11-3-33-1, Himateja 3-0-20-0, Punnaiah 2-0-7-0, Abhirath 1-0-3-0, Aman 1-0-9-0.
Published – February 01, 2026 10:56 pm IST
