Hyderabad: With the help of a record-breaking triple century from opener Tanmay Agarwal (366 off 181) and a century from fellow opener and captain G Rahul Singh (185 off 105), Hyderabad beat Arunachal Pradesh by an innings and 187 runs in the second day of the ongoing Ranji Trophy at NexGen Cricket Ground, Hyderabad.
Agarwal was unbeaten on 323 off 160 balls on the opening day, as Hyderabad ended the day with 529/1 losing the captain’s wicket in response to Arunachal Pradesh’s first inning total of 172 runs in 39.4 overs. However, Agarwal could only add 43 runs on the second day and his team declared their first innings on 615/4 in 59.3 overs. In his marathon innings of 366, that he amassed at 202.2 strike rate with the help of 34 fours and 26 maximums. He also broke several records enroute.
Arunachal performed a bit better in the second innings, but were folded out for 256 in 54 overs. Placed in the plate group, Hyderabad registered 4 wins in as many matches to top the table with 28 points in that group.
On the opening day, the 28-year-old left spectators in awe with his stroke-making display . His remarkable strike rate of 202.2 not only ranks as the fourth-best in innings with at least 200 runs but also stands as the best by an Indian batter in first-class cricket.
Tanmay Agarwal’s innings wasn’t just about the runs; it was about rewriting the record books. He achieved the fastest triple century in first-class cricket, going from 200 to 300 in a mere 28 deliveries and reaching the milestone in 147 balls.
Partnering with Rahul Singh Gahlaut, the opening duo crafted a formidable partnership of 449 for the first wicket, marking the fifth-best by an Indian pair in first-class cricket. Rahul Singh Gahlaut contributed significantly with a commendable 185 runs off 105 balls.
Hyderabad’s scoring rate was phenomenal, approaching 11 runs per over. Tanmay Agarwal also surpassed the record for the most sixes in a single first-class innings with 26 sixes beating New Zealand’s Colin Munro, who struck 23 sixes in the 2014/15 season.
The opening day’s play witnessed a total of 701 runs scored in 87.4 overs, marking only the second instance in first-class cricket where the 700-run mark was crossed in a single day. This feat is particularly significant as it’s the first time since 1950 that two teams combined to score over 700 runs in a day’s play in the format.