Uday Kaul player after scoring double century against Mizoram on Wednesday (Source: Jaipal Singh)

At the end of the day’s play on the second day of the Ranji Trophy plate group match between Chandigarh and Mizoram at Mahajan Cricket Ground, IT Park, 32-year-old Chandigarh wicket-keeper batsman Uday Kaul was greeted by his father Tej Kaul, former Indian team trainer.

Earlier in the day, Kaul had posted his highest first-class score of 212 runs surpassing his earlier best score —165 against Bengal in 2012 — and his 279-run partnership with Ankit Kaushik (177) and 247-run partnership with Raman Bishnoi (139) meant that Chandigarh posted a mammoth total of 587 runs in 110.1 overs to take 478-run first innings’ lead. Incidentally, it was Kaul’s 101’s First Class match and the wicket-keeper termed it as a special knock.

“It feels good to post my career-best score and to help Chandigarh take a commanding lead in the match. My father had come to congratulate me after the day’s play and he has always taught us to aim for the best. I had been batting well in the last 2-3 innings but big scores were not coming. So my focus was to apply myself on such kind of wicket, which offered bounce. Playing in Plate Group is different than in Elite group as I had the idea about opposition bowlers in the elite group. Facing new bowlers was the challenge this time and such knocks means that the past 3-4 failures are also forgotten,” shared Kaul, who had played in his 100th First Class match against Pondichery at Sector 16 Stadium last week.

Kaul, who had started playing cricket under coach Harish Sharma at Sector 16 Stadium in 1999, had made his first-class debut for Punjab in 2005 and played a total of 94 first-class matches for Punjab before opting to play for Chandigarh last year.

Kaul had scored a century for Chandigarh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. In the Ranji Trophy plate group, Kaul had managed to cross 30 twice before Wednesday’s double century. Kaul, who resumed his innings at 62 runs off 82 balls on Wednesday, completed his 100 off 142 balls before reaching 200 in 267 balls. In the process, Kaul stitched a 247-run partnership with Raman Bishnoi before adding 279 runs for the fifth wicket with Ankit Kaushik. Mizoram were 48 for 3 in 14 overs trailing Chandigarh by 430 runs.

Ankit Kaushik scored a century and a 279-run partnership with Kaul. (Source: Jaipal Singh)

“It has been a good experience for me in the Chandigarh dressing room. The team is evolving match by match and the fact that we have not lost any match adds to our confidence. Ankit and Raman have now scored three hundreds this season and such knocks will help them in the longer run. Most of us have played for 10-15 years for Punjab or other states and to share our inputs with the youngsters is also a special felling. After Raman fell, Ankit stepped up the tempo and he had shown such kind of batting against Railways in Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy too,” shared Kaul.

While Bishnoi too scored his third ton, 28-year-old Ankit Kaushik played a quick-fire knock of 177 runs off 152 runs which included 12 boundaries and 13 sixes.

Son of former Chandigarh Police Inspector Kapil Dev Kaushik, Kaushik had started playing cricket at DAV School, Sector 8 and played for Punjab and Himachal Pradesh earlier. Kaushik’s father retired from his job last week and the cricketer termed the knock as a gift to his father.

“My father has been my inspiration and he played cricket too. To score three hundreds in my first season for Chandigarh has added to my confidence and today’s knock is my gift to my father on his retirement,” said Kaushik.