After having suffered initial set back hosts Punjab were 84 for three in the first innings, trailing by 116 runs, in reply to Hyderabad's 200 all out on the opening day of the four Ranji Trophy Elite B Group match at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Friday.

Punjab won the toss but asked Hyderabad to bat first. The visitors were all out for 200. Punjab were 84 for three at close this evening. Due to bad light the play was called off earlier due to which four overs short were bowled. G Gupta (38) and Ravneet Rickey (21) were batting.

Hyderabad, lost their first wicket on 11 when Abhinav Kumar (8) was caught by Muneesh Sharma off Gagandeep Singh, who finished the innings with 4 for 46.

The visitors lost their second wicket after the addition of 17 to the total in the form of opener D S Manohar (9) who was bowled by H Sandhu, who with his figures of 3 for 62 was the second highest wicket taker for the hosts.

The visitors kept losing their wickets at regular interval and were 124 for eight when Kaushik Reddy (51 not out) brought some respectability to Hyderabad score of 200 all out.

Kaushik and N P Singh, who came at the exit of A Absolem (7) as eighth wicket at the total of 124, successfully faced the bowling attack of Punjab. The two added 51 runs for the ninth wicket in the form of Singh (33 with the help of three fours and one six).

The last batsman P Ojha (0) also gave support to Kaushik, who went on scoring and added 25 runs for the 10th wicket in the form of Ojha who was out leg before to a delivery from Gagandeep Singh when the score board read 200.

Kaushik got his unbeaten 51 with the help of nine hits to the rope.

Anirudh Singh (49 with the help of six fours) was the second highest scorer for Hyderabad. He was bowled by Sandhu.

Sandhu's third wicket was that of N P Singh.

Three batsmen S A Pai (12), I Khaleel (11) and A Shinde (12) managed to reach double digit score while A S Yadav failed to open his account.

Punjab commenced their first innings on a disastrous note losing the wicket of S Sohal (1) when the score was only four.

Dinesh Mongia also failed to stay for long at the crease. Mongia (6) was caught by Khaleel off the bowling of N P Singh when the score board read 17.

After the addition of 14 runs to the board Pankaj Dharmani (12) returned to the pavilion being out leg before to a delivery from N P Singh.

The fourth wicket unbroken partnership of Gupta and Rickey had added 51 runs to the board. N P Singh (2 for 12) and A Absolem (1 for 31) were the wicket takers for Hyderabad.

Scorecard:

Hyderabad 1st innings
DS Manohar b Sandhu 9
Abhinav Kumar c Muneesh Sharma b Gagandeep Singh 8
Anirudh Singh b Sandhu 49
AS Yadav c Gupta b Gagandeep Singh 0
SA Pai b Ablash 12
I Khaleel c Gupta b Uniyal 11
A Shinde c Mongia b Gagandeep Singh 12
A Absolem b Sandhu 7
NP Singh b Mongia 33
Kaushik Reddy not out 51
P Ojha lbw b Gagandeep Singh 0
Extras (lb 3, nb 5) 8
Total (all out) 200

Fall of Wickets: 1-11, 2-28, 3-39, 4-51, 5-72,6-107, 7-107, 8-124, 9-175,10-200.

Bowling:
Gagandeep Singh 19-4-46-4 (1nb)
H Sandhu 15-1-62-3
Amit Uniyal 11-3-52-1 (1nb)
L Ablash 7-0-25-1 (3nb)
Dinesh Mongia 7-2-12-1.

Punjab 1st innings
Ravneet Singh Ricky batting 21
S Sohal c Khaleel b Absolem 1
Dinesh Mongia c Khaleel b Singh 6
Pankaj Dharmani lbw b Singh 12
G Gupta batting 38
Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 1, nb 1) 6
Total (3 wickets) 84

Fall of Wickets: 1-4, 2-17, 3-31.

Bowling
N P Singh 6-3-12-2 (1nb)
A Absolem 11-2-31-1 (1w)
Kaushik Reddy 7-2-21-0
D S Manohar 2-0-9-0
P Ojha 1-0-7-0