Laxman fails as Hyderabad follow on

VVS Laxman failed to strike form on the third day of Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy season opener against Bengal...

VVS Laxman failed to strike form on the third day of Hyderabad’s Ranji Trophy season opener against Bengal at Eden Gardens here today. He made a paltry 18, after his fourth-ball duck yesterday.

Hyderabad were tottering at 86/3 and are trailing by 148 runs going into the last days play, after Bengal skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla decided to enforce the follow on. The hosts now have a chance of winning outright.

Earlier in the day, tail-enders Amol Shinde and Pragyan Ojha guided Hyderabad to a respectable 227 in their first innings.

The duo shared a 74 run partnership for the eight wicket, frustrating Bengal bowlers for the greater part of the first session. Manoj Tewari, after his scintillating double hundred yesterday, dismissing Ojha before lunch.

Shinde helped himself to a career-best 90 and showed his more illustrious counterparts the value of right application and determination. In no hurry to score, he occupied the crease for a good 255 minutes and hit 12 fours and a six in his 181 ball long innings. Finally, off-spinner Sourasish Lahiri’s perfect arm-ball did the trick and Wriddhiman Saha did his job behind the stumps.

Forced to follow on, openers Manohar and Ravi Teja made a sedate start putting on 37 runs before Murtaza Lodhgar, making a comeback after three seasons, fooled Manohar to play against the turn. Shib Shankar Paul completed the formality with a diving effort at mid-on.

Brief scores

Bengal 461; Hyderabad 227 (A Shinde 90; S Lahiri 4/65) and 86/3 (R Teja 47, VVS Laxman 18; M Lodhgar 3/22)