[caption id="attachment_26063" align="aligncenter" width="580"]Yuvraj 1 Yuvraj scored a double ton against Baroda on Sunday. Image Source: twitter[/caption] Internet Desk: Skipper Yuvraj Singh notched up a fine double century as Punjab surpassed Baroda's huge first-innings total with ease to collect three points from their Group A Ranji Trophy cricket match on Sunday. Punjab secured three points, as against Baroda's one, on the basis of taking the first-innings lead at the Feroz Shah Kotla on the fourth and final day of the high-scoring game. Owing to the out-of-favour India all-rounder Yuvraj's 260, his second century of the season, and opener Manan Vohra's 224, Punjab piled up a mammoth 670 before being bowled out. Even as the match headed for a draw, Baroda batted a second time and scored 37 for no loss in 14 overs before it was called off. For Baroda, left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh picked up 4/169 bowling 51 overs, while off-spinner Vishnu Solanki took 3/151, including the wicket of Yuvraj. During their stay in the middle, Yuvraj and Vohra added 343 runs for the third wicket at nearly fours runs an over. The left-handed Yuvraj then quickly put on 116 runs for the fourth wicket with Gurkeerat Singh (55) to help Punjab go past Baroda's first-innings total of 529 all out and pave the way for securing three points. Punjab were overnight 452/2 with Vohra and Yuvraj batting on 201 and 179 respectively. While Yuvraj slammed 26 boundaries and four sixes during his fluent knock that came off 370 balls, Vohra found the fence 20 times and cleared it twice in his 386-ball innings. In another match Krishnappa Gowtham destroyed Assam's second innings with a brilliant stint of off-spin bowling before Karnataka romped home to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory on the fourth and final day of their Ranji Trophy Group B game,on Sunday. Gowtham grabbed 7 for 108 while leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal captured the other three wickets for 97 as the spin duo bundled out Assam for 264 in their second innings at the Bandra Kurla Complex ground. Karnataka, who led Assam by 245 runs in the first innings, needed 20 runs for an outright victory and accumulated the required runs for no loss in just three overs to secure a thumping victory with a bonus point to boot. The seven points that Karnataka gathered here helped them leapfrog Jharkhand to the top of the league table with 17 points. This was also the southern outfit's second successive outright victory after their innings win over Delhi at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata in their previous game. Assam had their backs to the wall when they commenced in the morning at 48 for one and so it proved. Barring first innings centurion Amit Verma, himself a former player from Karnataka, who made an aggressive 74 with the help of four sixes and seven fours in 120 balls, and opener Rahul Hazarika (44), the others put up meek resistance against Gowtham and Shreyas. The 28-year-old Gowtham playing in only his sixth game in four years - claimed six of the top seven batsmen, including Verma, to finish with his career's as well as season's second five wicket haul in an innings that took his tally of victims this season to 18 in three games. Gowtham had taken 5 for 35 in the second innings against Delhi, his maiden five wicket haul. Opener Rahul Hazarika was the second best scorer with 44, while lower down the order Sarupam Purkayastha made 33 to add to his first innings half century, but overall Assam put up a poor batting show against the spin duo barring left hander Verma.  

Ranji 2016: Yuvraj slams double ton as Punjab collect 3 points