ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2011

India in 2010/11 This section includes the 99 first-class matches played in India in 2010/11. Most of these – 88 – were played in the Ranji Trophy. The other domestic competitions, the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup, accounted for four and one respectively. The remaining six matches were played on the tours by Australia and New Zealand. After drawing a Test series 1-1 in Sri Lanka (see ‘Matches in 2010’), India played two Tests at home against Australia followed by three, also at home, against New Zealand. These series were followed by three Tests in South Africa. On the whole, India could look back with some satisfaction on this programme of matches. Both Tests against Australia were won. In the first, a desperately close finish saw India get home by one wicket thanks to V.V.S.Laxman, batting down the order because of injury, who battled his way to 73* when all had seemed lost. The second Test was also well contested but India asserted their superiority in the later stages and won comfortably enough by seven wickets. New Zealand were expected to offer less opposition but in fact fought tenaciously for the first two Tests, easily drawing the second after giving the hosts a serious fright in the first. In the final Test, however, India recorded an overwhelming innings win to take the rubber 1-0. The series was perhaps most notable for the sudden emergence as a batsman of Harbhajan Singh, who scored two centuries and topped the Indian averages. After two series wins at home, India had to settle for a 1-1 draw in South Africa (see the South Africa section). Overall, however, India had consolidated their position at the top of the Test rankings, but without really threatening to establish the kind of dominance formerly achieved by Australia or, before that, West Indies. In terms of personal achievement, mention must be made of the astonishing career milestone of S.R.Tendulkar who, after months of speculation, hit an unprecedented 50th Test century in the first Test in South Africa (and followed up with his 51st in the third). Turning to domestic cricket, the premier first-class tournament, the Ranji Trophy, was won by Rajasthan. It was Rajasthan’s first triumph after having taken part in the Trophy since 1935/36 (initially as Rajputana). Not only that: Rajasthan’s success vindicated the decision, which took effect from the 2008/09 season, to open up the competition so that sides in the Plate Groups were eligible to win. Formerly, from 2002/03 when the Elite and Plate arrangement replaced the old Zonal structure, Plate sides had been able to hope for nothing better than promotion to the Elite. And this success was no fluke. Rajasthan headed Plate Group A (in the process dismissing Hyderabad for 21) and posted a huge total in the Plate semi-final to see off Maharashtra and qualify for the Ranji quarter-final. This might have been expected to end Rajasthan’s interest for the opponents were mighty Mumbai, 39-time winners and defending champions. But Rajasthan’s batting again came good with an enormous score, and went on to administer similar treatment to Tamil Nadu in the semi-final. Rajasthan’s totals in these three matches – the Plate semi-final and the Ranji quarter-final and semi-final – were 641 for seven declared, 589, and 552 for seven declared. Scores of these proportions all but guarantee success in the pitiless environment of Ranji knockouts, where first-innings lead is the deciding factor when, as so often happens, four days do not suffice to reach a result. The other Ranji semi-final, by contrast, was an unusually low-scoring affair, Baroda defeating Karnataka by seven wickets on the second day. The final thus pitched Rajasthan against Baroda. It was a dour struggle in which Rajasthan secured a narrow 33-run first-innings lead. This proved to be sufficient as even the allowance of five days did not produce an outright result. 105