Karnataka bowl out Assam for 135 as Rajasthan crash to 73 for eight in Dharamsala

Bowlers had the better of the first day of the Ranji Trophy’s fourth round on Monday, with Karnataka bowling out Assam for 135 in Guwahati and Rajasthan slumping to eight down by lunch in the hills of Dharamsala.

At the Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Assam chose to bat and looked settled enough at lunch on 93 for four after 33 overs. Opener Sibsankar Roy had made 37 off 66 balls, with five fours and a six, before Rithesh Bhatkal bowled him just before the break.

Bhatkal had three wickets for 19 runs in 10 overs by then, and Shikhar Shetty had one for 32. After lunch the innings fell away. Assam lost their last six wickets for 42, and the innings ended in the 49th over, giving Karnataka most of the day to bat.

The collapse in Dharamsala was even steeper. Rajasthan, batting first against Himachal Pradesh, were 73 for eight at lunch after 29 overs, a disastrous morning that leaves them fighting to reach even a modest total.

In Agartala, Saurashtra chose to field and had Tripura 50 for five at lunch. Tripura crawled at barely one and a half runs an over and had moved only to 84 for five after 42 overs by early afternoon.

It was not all one way. In Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s openers batted through the morning against Kerala, reaching 95 without loss in 32 overs at lunch. Tamil Nadu were also comfortable at 116 for two in the 36th over against Chandigarh.

This is the last round of four-day cricket before the Ranji Trophy breaks for the white-ball season, so first-innings leads won on these pitches could weigh heavily in the group tables.