Dhoni-led J'khand notch up third straight win

Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Jharkhand secured a 42-run win over Saurashtra in a low-scoring Group D match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Eden Gardens, which saw 20 wickets fall in less than five hours, here on Wednesday.

Sent in, Jharkhand's innings folded for 125 in 27.3 overs with Ishan Kishan scoring a half century (53) while Dhoni (23) and Ishank Jaggi (12) were the other two batsmen to reach double digits.

The paltry target proved too difficult for Saurashtra who were skittled out for 83 in 25.1 overs as Jharkhand registered their third successive victory.

The Eden Gardens pitch was back in focus with its uneven bounce after only three batsmen from each camp posted double digits with Kishan notching up a solitary half-century. On a precarious-looking surface, it was the seamers who ruled the roost, grabbing all the 20 wickets on offer.

Jharkhand's pace spearhead Varun Aaron bowled his quota in one spell en route to 4/20 as he along with Rahul Shukla (4/32) and Jaskaran Singh accounted for all the 10 Saurashtra wickets.

Dhoni was seen employing an attacking field with two in the slip cordon and two — forward short leg and silly point — around the batsmen.

From being 30/3 after 10 overs at innings break, Saurashtra's collapse began after Aaron dismissed their skipper Shah in the 15th over as they lost the remaining seven wickets for 34 runs in 12.3 overs.

Earlier, Jharkhand's innings revolved around Kishan's fluent 40-ball 53 (5x4, 4x6) as their innings folded for 125 in 27.3 overs.

Dhoni made 23 from 24 balls (1x4, 1x6) and pulled the Saurashtra wrecker-in-chief Sanandia for a huge six over fine leg in his 51-minute vigil at the crease.

Sanandia returned with a career-best 5/47 while Kushang Patel claimed 4/39 as the duo triggered the collapse in the 10th over when the latter struck twice in two balls.

Patel castled Virat Singh, and in the next ball he trapped left-handed Saurabh Tiwary LBW while Sanandia too joined in the act in his fiery second spell of 8-3-31-5.

It was Kishan who provided the resistance with four sixes as he brought up his fifty in 38 balls. But in the next over, Sanandia dismissed the diminutive left-hander who was done in by extra bounce.