Team Goemkarponn Panaji: Baroda finished the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A clash against Goa at 204 for three in 85 overs at the Panjim Gymkhana ground on Sunday. After electing to bat, the visitors negotiated Goa’s disciplined bowling attack before strengthening their position with a valuable unbeaten partnership in the final session.
Goa had to wait until the second session for their first breakthrough, with off spinner Mohit Redkar trapping Dhruv Patel leg before wicket for 30. Left arm spinner Darshan Misal then bowled Priyanshu Moliya for 21, reducing Baroda to 117 for two at tea.
The opening partnership between Patel and Shivalik Sharma produced 62 runs in 32 overs. Both batters adopted a cautious approach, focusing on building a solid foundation against Goa’s bowling attack. The hosts maintained control over the scoring rate during the first two sessions, making the visitors work hard for their runs.
Sharma provided stability at the top of the order with a composed innings of 60. His knock ended when he was caught by Lalit Yadav off Ruthvik Naik, giving Goa their third wicket and an opportunity to put further pressure on Baroda.
However, Goa could not make another breakthrough before stumps. Shashwat Rawat and Deepak Hooda combined effectively to steady the innings and shift the momentum back towards the visitors.
Rawat remained unbeaten on 40, while Hooda was not out on 38. The pair added 73 runs for the fourth wicket without being separated, guiding Baroda to 204 for three at the close of play.
Ruthvik Naik, Mohit Redkar and Darshan Misal claimed one wicket each for Goa. The hosts will aim to break the partnership early on the second morning and prevent Baroda from posting a substantial first innings total.
Scorecard
Baroda, first innings: 204/3 in 85 overs
Dhruv Patel lbw b Mohit Redkar 30, Shivalik Sharma c Lalit Yadav b Ruthvik Naik 60, Priyanshu Moliya b Darshan Misal 21, Shashwat Rawat not out 40, Deepak Hooda not out 38, Extras 13.
