Andhra have Services reeling on rain-curtailed day

Andhra Pradesh started the new domestic season on a positive note, reducing Services to 73 for 5 on a rain-curtailed opening day in the Ranji Trophy Group C match, in Anantpur, on Friday.

After being invited to bat, Services lost wickets at regular intervals, giving the hosts an early advantage in the match.

Skipper Soomik Chatarjee (2) was the first to return to the hut when he was castled by left-arm seamer Atchuta Rao off the third ball of the second over.

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It was a double blow for Services as Rao got rid of Anshul Gupta with the following delivery to leave the visitors reeling at two for two.

Opener Prateek Desai and Yashpal Singh (20) tried to resurrect the Services innings, but with the latter falling to medium-pacer Sayed Sahabuddin in the 12th over, it was a laborious task for the visiting batsmen from there on.

Desai was the next to go after compiling a painstaking 19 off 66 balls.

Duvvarapu Shivkumar then dismissed Soumyaranjan Swain on the stroke of stumps to get his second wicket of the match.

At the close, Rajat Paliwal was batting on 10 in the company of Sarabjit Singh.

Brief scores:

Services 73 for 5 in 28 overs (Soumyaranjan Swain 21; Duvvarapu Shivkumar 2-15).