Cricket lost all sense of normalcy in Tinsukia on Saturday as 25 wickets tumbled in a single day of Ranji Trophy action between Assam and Services. What was supposed to be a home advantage for Assam turned into a day of chaos that exposed both fragile batting techniques and a pitch that appeared unfit for first-class cricket.
Assam’s decision to bat first backfired spectacularly. They were bundled out for 103 in just 17.2 overs, undone by prodigious seam movement and unpredictable bounce. Pradyun Saikia’s audacious 52 off 42 balls, laced with six towering sixes, was the lone act of defiance in an otherwise brutal collapse. Services bowlers Arjun Sharma and Mohit Jangra both took hat-tricks in the same innings — a statistical rarity even by Ranji standards. Sharma ripped through Riyan Parag, Sumit Ghadigaonkar, and Sibsankar Roy in successive deliveries, while Jangra dismissed Saikia, Mukhtar Hussain, and debutant Bhargab Lahkar in a dramatic spell that ended the innings.
If Services believed they had seized control, they were quickly reminded of Tinsukia’s treacherous turf. Assam’s bowlers, led by Riyan Parag and Silhar boy Rahul Singh, returned fire with even greater ferocity. Parag claimed five for 25, extracting venomous lift and movement, while Rahul’s left-arm spin accounted for four wickets for 44 runs. The pair dismantled Services for 108 inside 30 overs. Only Irfan Khan’s gritty unbeaten 51 stood between Services and total capitulation.
Batting again in the evening, Assam fared no better. The top order disintegrated once more, reduced to 6 for 3 inside the first three overs as Jangra and Pulkit Narang struck early. Captain Denish Das tried to fight it out with a patient 10, while wicketkeeper Sumit Ghadigaonkar was unbeaten on 17 at stumps. Assam ended the day at 56 for 5, leading by 51 runs with five wickets intact.
The day’s play, packed with collapses, hat-tricks and nine-wicket hauls shared between Parag and Rahul, has already sparked conversations about the quality of the pitch and its readiness for a four-day game. With uneven bounce, sharp turn and lateral movement throughout the day, the Tinsukia track offered little for batting and plenty for bowlers of every kind. How the BCCI match referee and ground committee view the conditions after this extraordinary first day remains to be seen.
At stumps (Day 1):
Assam 103 & 56/5 (Ghadigaonkar 17*, Roy 6*, Narang 2/16, Sharma 2/12)
Services 108 (Irfan Khan 51*; Riyan Parag 5/25, Rahul Singh 4/44)
Assam lead by 51 runs with five wickets in hand.
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