Ranji Trophy: Andhra's 31-yr-old smashes 1st First-Class century in 10 years, gives strong retort to Jharkhand's 328 with 224/2

Andhra Pradesh rode on Abhishek Reddy's unbeaten century laid the foundation of their robust start in the fifth round Ranji Trophy clash against Jharkhand. Reddy skillfully navigated a potent Jharkhand bowling attack throughout the day. Jharkhand, whose first innings concluded early on Monday at 328 runs in 112.3 overs, found themselves under immense pressure by the end of play.

Abhishek Reddy burns bright with scorching century for Andhra

Jharkhand, whose first innings had concluded early on Monday at 328 runs in 112.3 overs, found themselves under immense pressure by stumps after the 31-year-old struck his maiden First-Class century (103 not out off 156 balls) to guide Andhra to a commanding total of 224 for 2. With eight wickets still intact, Andhra now requires only 104 runs to secure the crucial first-innings lead.

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Reddy, who had already struck back-to-back half-centuries against Odisha and Tamil Nadu this season, delivered with the bat when his team needed him the most. It all came against a team who previously secured victories on the back of brilliant bowling efforts from players like Sahil Raj and Rishi Raj. Notably, Reddy's journey to this milestone was a long one, having started his domestic career with Karnataka back in 2015, it took him almost a decade to achieve his maiden First-Class century.

Reddy's strong partnerships with Bharat and Rasheed

Reddy built Andhra’s strong position through two sturdy partnerships. He first shared a 94-run stand for the opening wicket with India Test keeper-batter Srikar Bharat, who contributed 51 runs. Reddy then batted stoutly alongside Shaik Rasheed, putting on a crucial 122-run partnership for the second wicket. Relying heavily on his ground strokes, Reddy’s century included 11 boundaries and just one maximum. His effort has put Andhra in a strong position to dislodge Jharkhand from the No. 2 spot on the points table; Jharkhand currently sits on 16 points after four games, while Andhra is close behind in third place with 14 points. At the close of play, the young spin all-rounder Tripurana Vijay (6 not out) was giving Reddy company at the crease.

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The morning session, however, did not bring much joy for the hosts, as their last four wickets tumbled for the addition of just 69 runs. Overnight batter Sahil Raj labored to complete his half-century (50 off 86 balls), adding 43 runs on the second day before ultimately becoming the last player to be dismissed. For Andhra, their veteran pacer KV Sasikanth (4/67) and left-arm spinner Saurab Kumar (4/77) performed exceptionally well, ensuring their opponents were restricted to a manageable total.