Kamal Ghorui
The much-anticipated Shubman Gill versus Ravindra Jadeja contest failed to live up to its billing on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy sixth-round clash between Punjab and Saurashtra, with both senior India players enduring forgettable outings as wickets fell in heaps. Jadeja managed just 7 runs from six balls before being dismissed, while Gill’s stay was even shorter. Punjab’s captain was out for a duck, falling to the second delivery he faced. By the end of a frenetic Day 1, 15 wickets had already gone, setting the tone for a low-scoring contest.
Both players arrived under pressure. Jadeja continues to face questions over his batting form, while Gill’s leadership has come under scrutiny in recent months. Although Gill showed signs of revival with back-to-back half-centuries during India’s recent 2-1 home series loss to New Zealand, consistency has remained elusive. He was also left out of India’s T20I plans earlier. This match marked Gill’s return to Ranji Trophy cricket after a year, his previous appearance coming against Karnataka in January last season. He had featured in a couple of Vijay Hazare Trophy games recently but only resumed red-ball duties now. Batting at No. 5 instead of his usual Test position, Gill was trapped LBW by left-arm spinner Parth Bhut. His dismissal reduced Punjab to 73 for 4, and the slide continued soon after as the score slipped to 87 for 5. Earlier, Saurashtra were bowled out for 172 in 47.1 overs. Jadeja struck an early boundary but was caught shortly after, unable to anchor the innings. Several other Indian players are also involved across venues. Nitish Kumar Reddy is bowling against Mumbai, Mohammed Siraj has already claimed a wicket, and Sarfaraz Khan registered a half-century. Rishabh Pant remains unavailable as he continues recovering from an injury sustained ahead of the New Zealand ODI series. The Ranji Trophy has resumed following a two-month break for white-ball competitions. With only two league matches remaining, teams are pushing for places ahead of the quarter-finals, scheduled to begin on February 6.
