When Gujarat skipper Chintan Gaja known as accurately on the coin toss towards Saurashtra on Saturday morning, he instructed the broadcaster that the rationale behind opting to bowl was to take advantage of the even protecting of grass adorning the floor.
Three classes and eight hours later, as day one of many Ranji Trophy quarterfinal between these two groups on the Niranjan Shah Stadium drew to an in depth, Gaja couldn’t have been happier together with his bowling unit’s execution. The 30-year-old is worthy of a pat on his personal again, for he led the best way with figures of 21-9-48-4 to bundle out Saurashtra for 216 in 72.1 overs. Within the 5 overs that Gujarat batted earlier than stumps have been known as, Priyank Panchal and Aarya Desai took the customer to 21 for 0.
Although Gaja had most success, it was a collective effort that helped Gujarat seize the opening day’s play. For the house workforce, Chirag Jani battled arduous and contributed 69, helped by a few reprieves that might nonetheless show decisive in shaping the ultimate final result.
On a deck that had an uncharacteristic tinge of inexperienced, Saurashtra have been really off to begin within the morning session with Jani and Harvik Desai making certain a wicketless opening hour. The ball did go previous the surface edge a number of occasions, however every time there was a free ball to be dispatched, it was.
Simply when it appeared that desperation might creep in among the many Gujarat bowlers, left-arm pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla received one to carry its line within the sixteenth over and take Harvik’s exterior edge. Just a few overs handed by quietly earlier than Cheteshwar Pujara was undone by left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai. The place the often dependable No. 3 erred was in enjoying towards the flip, which led to a vanguard lobbing to Manan Hingrajia at cowl.
Gujarat went from energy to energy within the interval between lunch and tea, scalping 4 wickets and conceding simply 36 runs in 24 overs.
The scores:
Saurashtra — 1st innings: Harvik Desai c Urvil b Nagwaswalla 22, Chirag Jani c Urvil b Gaja 69, Cheteshwar Pujara c Hingrajia b Siddharth 26, Sheldon Jackson lbw b Desai 14, Arpit Vasavada (not out) 39, Prerak Mankad c Urvil b Jaymeet 0, Sammar Gajjar c Hingrajia b Jaymeet 4, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja c Aarya b Gaja 22, Jaydev Unadkat c Urvil b Gaja 14, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya b Gaja 0, Hiten Kanbi c Hingrajia b Bishnoi 1; Extras (nb-3, lb-2): 5; Complete (in 72.1 overs): 216.
Fall of wickets: 1-45, 2-95, 3-127, 4-139, 5-140, 6-148, 7-177, 8-203, 9-203.
Gujarat bowling: Gaja 21-9-48-4, Nagwaswalla 19-3-63-1, Priyajitsinh 7-1-27-0, Jaymeet 16-7-37-2, Siddharth 7-0-35-2, Bishnoi 2.1-0-4-1.
Gujarat — 1st innings: Priyank Panchal (batting) 11, Aarya Desai (batting) 10; Complete (for no loss. in 5 overs): 21.
Saurashtra bowling: Unadkat 3-1-6-0, Kanbi 2-0-15-0.
Toss: Gujarat.
Printed – February 08, 2025 07:12 pm IST
