Three years after crushing Bengal’s Ranji Trophy hopes in the final, Arpit Vasavada came chasing them again on the same podium, standing with an unbeaten 81 to take Saurashtra closer to their second title, on Friday. Saurashtra’s vice-captain, whose 106 gave them a match-winning lead in the first innings in the 2020 final at Rajkot, once again stepped into Bengal’s shoes, sharing two key partnerships with Sheldon Jackson (59) and Chirag Jani (57 not out ). The duo of Vasavada and Jani, who are in an unbroken 113-run partnership, increased the run-rate in the post-tea session and extended their lead to 143 in the first innings.
Saurashtra was 317 for 5 at the end of day two in reply to Bengal’s 174 all-out.
Fresh off his match-winning double century against Karnataka in the semi-final, Vasavada picked up where he left off and stood tall in his unbeaten run that came off 155 balls. He hit 11 boundaries.
Jani also seemed comfortable crossing 10 boundaries as the duo dictated the terms, especially in the final session.
Their pace-heavy attack proved to be a major letdown, with Bengal taking 46 minutes to get the first breakthrough in the morning session.
By then, night batsman Harvik Desai (50) reached his 12th half century in a dogged partnership with night watchman Chetan Sakariya who finished the first hour with a determined eight off 45 balls.
Mukesh Kumar and Ishan Porel dismissed Desai and Sakariya alongside just eight runs, but from then on, the southpaw Vasavada took control with Jackson in a 95-run partnership that set the tone and took their score past Bengal’s 174.
Veteran Jackson donated his wicket after scoring his 35th fifty. He had misjudged his attack on Ishan Porel to be holed out on a good leg.
But Jani piled up Bengal’s woes with his entertaining strokeplay in their century-plus stand that all but sealed their second Ranji triumph.
Making full use of a delay on 26 when Shahbaz Ahmed dropped a nanny, Jani raced to his 13th first-class half century in 72 balls.
After play resumed after the tea break, which was extended by 20 minutes due to poor light, Jani stepped on the gas as he drove, pulled and also drove straight with elegance.
Conditions on day two were hazy and gloomy at Eden Gardens and reflected in the home side’s camp as their pace-heavy attack failed to take control in the first hour.
Akash Deep made a mistake in line and bowled mainly on the fifth and sixth stump, while star pacer Mukesh was well canceled out by a decisive batting from the nighttime duo of wicketkeeper batter Desai and Sakariya.
Sakariya took some body blows but held on to fend off the Bengal pace attack before conditions eased.
Unlike the first day, the field looked brown and there wasn’t much help for pacers, while Akash Deep looked like a shadow from his past.
Desai was the first wicket to fall when he failed to read the line as a delivery from Mukesh Kumar came back in to trap him at the front.
Porel seemed to be the cream of the crop and bowled a great throw to cut off Sakariya’s stump.
It was a time when Bengal could have had a bit more influence with two new hitters – Jackson and Vasavada – in the crease.
But Akash Deep drove the ball away to pads and gave freebies. Jackson and Vasavada both came off with elegant cover drives and there was no looking back.
Short Scores: Bengal 174 vs Saurashtra 317/5 in 87 overs (Harvik Desai 50, Sheldon Jackson 59, Arpit Vasavada 81 not out, Chirag Jani 57 not out; Mukesh Kumar 2/83, Ishan Porel 2/72). Saurashtra led with 143 runs.
Featured video of the day
Women’s Premier League: everything you need to know
Topics mentioned in this article