Rajasthan’s Ranji Trophy campaign got off to a tough start on the opening day of their Elite Group D clash against Puducherry at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground, but a fighting innings from debutant Deepak Choudhary helped the visitors post a competitive 168 all-out in 61.1 overs. The all-round effort — particularly Choudhary’s knock down the order — gave Rajasthan some momentum in what threatened to be a batting collapse early on.
Rajasthan elected to bat after winning the toss, but the top and middle order struggled to build substantial partnerships against disciplined bowling from the hosts. By the time the lower order came to the crease, Rajasthan were precariously placed at 107 for 7, threatening to be dismissed for a low total. It was at this point that Deepak Choudhary, on his first-class debut, changed the course of the innings with a gutsy and aggressive 64 off 71 balls. His innings featured nine fours and two sixes, reviving Rajasthan’s hopes and adding valuable runs when they were most needed.
Choudhary’s contribution was far more than just valuable runs: it steadied a fragile lineup and forced Puducherry to rethink their bowling plans. He showcased confident strokeplay against both pace and spin, keeping the scoreboard ticking and frustrating the home bowling attack. Alongside him, Deepak Hooda made a useful 36, and opener Ramnivas Golada contributed 31, but aside from those knocks there were few significant resistances from the rest of the batting order.
Puducherry’s bowlers were excellent for much of the day, led by **off-spinner Karan Kannan, who finished with a career-best 5 for 37, and left-arm spinner **Sagar Udeshi, who took 3 for 54. Their disciplined use of flight and variation, particularly through the middle overs, helped them dismantle Rajasthan’s top and middle order. The spin duo comfortably claimed eight of the ten wickets, exploiting the conditions and keeping the pressure on a struggling batting unit.
Despite the collapse, Rajasthan’s lower-order resistance meant they posted a total that offers something to bowl at. At the end of Day 1, **Puducherry began their first innings reply in promising fashion, reaching 77 for 2 in 28 overs, trailing by 91 runs. Captain Neyan Shyam Kangayan was unbeaten on 41, and Ragavan Ramamoorthy was 20 not out, setting up a build towards Day 2 that could see the hosts assert control if they can maintain their momentum.
The two wickets that fell came at times when Rajasthan still looked under pressure; Ajay Rohera was out for 1, dismissed by Choudhary himself, and Jashwanth Shreeram departed for 15, leaving Puducherry’s innings balanced between consolidation and aggression.
From a tactical view, Rajasthan will be pleased with the lower-order fightback — particularly given the early struggles of their top lineup — but they know that restricting Puducherry on the second day will be critical if they are to gain the upper hand in this Group D contest. The hosts, meanwhile, will look to a strong batting performance on Day 2 to overturn the first innings deficit and put themselves in a strong position in the match.
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