RANJI TROPHY | Saurashtra vs Punjab match hurtles towards early finish as 23 wickets fall on day one

Left-arm spin ruled the roost as a whopping 23 wickets fell on the opening day of Saurashtra’s crucial Ranji Trophy Group B tie against Punjab at the Niranjan Shah Stadium C ground here on Thursday.

While Harpreet Brar (6/38 & 2/6) and Parth Bhut (5/33) emerged as the stars of Punjab and Saurashtra’s bowling attacks, the game remained in balance with the former managing to negate the 33-run first innings deficit with three quick strikes in the last 25 minutes of Saurashtra’s second essay.

When offie Jass Inder got one to spin through Jay Gohil’s gates and hit the woodwork, Saurashtra was placed at 24 for three, with an overall lead of 57 runs and nightwatcher Dharmendra Jadeja at the crease.

With Saurashtra in need of outright wins in the last two games to keep its qualification hopes alive, it wasn’t a surprise to see a turning track on offer. While the pitch wasn’t as demonic as the scoreboard hints at, a combination of accurate bowling and lack of application by a majority of the batters resulted in a stark possibility of a two-day finish on the cards.

So lopsided was the contest in favour of spinners that the three pacers combined from both teams bowled only 11 of the 93.2 overs that were played on the day.

Jaydev Unadkat, the Saurashtra captain, won a crucial toss, and Gohil’s star act with the willow — the lone fifty of the day — helped Saurashtra cross the 150-run mark. Gohil drove and cut the spinners with panache despite wickets tumbling at the other end.

Similarly, after Saurashtra folded up soon after lunch, Punjab opener Prabhsimran Singh dominated veteran Ravindra Jadeja – who shared the new ball with Unadkat. Only after Dharmendra and Bhut – the other two left-arm spinners were employed – did Saurashtra begin controlling the game.

Bhut’s twin strikes in an over – Nehal Wadhera and Shubman Gill – tilted the balance in Saurashtra’s game. And it remained so till Punjab brought parity to the scoreboard with three quick strikes towards the fag-end of the day’s proceedings.

The scores: Saurashtra – 1st innings: Harvik Desai c Harnoor b Harpreet 13, Chirag Jani c Anmolpreet b Sanvir 8, Jay Gohil c Dutta b Harpreet 82, Arpit Vasavada c Harpreet b Dutta 2, Ravindra Jadeja c Harpeet b Jass 7, Prerak Mankad lbw b Harpreet 32, Sammar Gajjar c Prabhsimran b Jass 0, Hetwik Kotak b Harpreet 12, Parth Bhut b Harpreet 0, Dharmendra Jadeja lbw b Harpreet 5, Jaydev Unadkat (not out) 7; Extras (lb-4): 4; Total (in 47.1 overs): 172.

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-34, 3-41, 4-66, 5-125, 6-136, 7-153, 8-153, 9-165.

Punjab bowling: Bhagat 3-1-17-0, Sanvir 4-2-10-1, Harpreet 18.1-6-38-6, Dutta 11-2-32-1, Jass 11-1-71-2.

Punjab – 1st innings: Harnoor Singh c Harvik b Unadkat 0, Prabhsimran Singh lbw b Dharmendra 44, Uday Saharan c Kotak b Dharmendra 23, Nehal Wadhera c Vasavada b Bhut 6, Shubman Gill lbw b Bhut 0, Anmolpreet Singh c & b Bhut 35, Prerit Dutta lbw b Bhut 11, Sanvir Singh b Jadeja 1, Krish Bhagat b Bhut 3, Harpreet Brar lbw b Ravindra 12, Jass Inder (not out) 4; Total (in 40.1 overs): 139.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-50, 3-73, 4-73, 5-73, 6-119, 7-120, 8-120, 9-135.

Saurashtra bowling: Unadkat 4-1-22-1, Ravindra 12.1-2-48-2, Dharmendra 12-2-36-2, Bhut 12-2-33-5.

Saurashtra – 2nd innings: Harvik Desai c Anmolpreet b Harpreet 6, Chirag Jani c Harnoor b Harpreet 5, Dharmendra Jadeja (batting) 5, Jay Gohil b Jass 8; Total (for three wkts. in 6 overs): 24.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-15, 3-24.

Punjab bowling: Harpreet 3-2-6-2, Dutta 2-0-9-0, Jass 1-0-9-1.