Vijaykumar scalps four as Tripura reach 165/9 against Andhra

Medium pacers Paidikalva Vijaykumar and Kakani Harish shared seven wickets between them as Andhra reduced Tripura to 165 for 9 in the first innings on the opening day of their Group C Ranji Trophy match, here today.
Vijaykumar (4/34) scalped four wickets while Harish (3/38) took three. Duvvarapu Shivkumar (1/16) and Garikina Prasad (1/22) too contributed with a wicket apiece after Andhra elected to field.
For Tripura, Tushar Saha remained unbeaten on 53 while Abhijit Dey made a fighting 32.
Asked to take the first strike, Tripura lost both their openers -- Samrat Singha (9) and KB Pawan (5) within 8.3 overs. While Singha was caught by Bodapati Sumanth off Shivkumar, Vijaykumar disturbed the timbers of Pawan.

Vijaykumar produced a brilliant spell of seam bowling to remove Yogesh Takawale for nought in his next over.
Harish removed Manisankar Murasingh (17) and Abbas Ali (8) in quick succession while Vijaykumar snared the wicket of Kaushal Acharjee (8) as the hosts were left reeling at 74 for seven.

Dey and Saha stitched together a crucial 44-run partnership for the eighth wicket to take the team past 100-mark.
Brief scores:
Tripura: 165 for 9 in 63 overs (Tushar Saha 53 batting, Abhijit Dey 32, DP Vijaykumar 4/34, Kakani Harish 3/38).