Left-arm bowlers helped Saurashtra have Gujarat on the mat on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semifinals. The left-armers scalped all but one of the 11 wickets on a day that saw saw only 196 runs scored as Gujarat was reeling at 119 for six, still 185 adrift of Saurashtra’s first innings total of 304.
Despite Sheldon Jackson (103, 204b, 15x4, 2x6) notching up his third hundred of the season and Chirag Jani (29, 123b) lending valuable support in the 103-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the left-armers took over when Jani shouldered arms to Roosh Kalaria.
Lucky break
By then, Jackson — having been given a reprieve by Parthiv Patel on 84 — had completed his 19th First Class hundred with a cut off Arzan Nagwaswalla.
Two overs later, Jackson nicked to Parthiv to give Kalaria another reason to cheer. Nagwaswalla (five for 81) then ensured the tail didn’t wag before left-arm spinner Axar Patel wound up the innings with Parthiv latching on to a difficult chance soon after lunch.
When Gujarat began, the openers’ woeful run continued with Saurashtra’s left-arm pace duo reducing the visitors to one for two in the second over.
Cartwheeling
While Jaydev Unadkat trapped Priyank Panchal in front — a decision that was not reversed by DRS — Chetan Sakariya got one to jag back from outside the off-stump to see Samit Gohel’s off-stump cartwheeling after the batsman had shouldered arms.
Allrounder Prerak Mankad then picked up the only wicket of the day by a right-armer when Bhargav Merai edged to Jackson at second slip.
The left-handed duo of Dhruv Raval (dropped by Harvik Desai off Sakariya at second slip) and captain Parthiv Patel tried to break the shackles with impressive drives and cuts off the pacers but Unadkat induced Raval into a false drive and edge was pouched at slip.
When Dharmendrasinh Jadeja got one to rise on Parthiv in his opening over and the batsman’s cut went straight to point, Gujarat was in disarray.
In his next over, Dharmendrasinh sent back Chirag Gandhi for a duck, thanks to a referral after umpire S. Ravi had failed to spot the inside-edge, to leave Gujarat in trouble at 97 for six.
Allrounder Axar and Rujul Bhatt took the team to stumps without further damage.
The scores:
Saurashtra — 1st innings: Harvik Desai c Merai b Nagwaswalla 35, Kishan Parmar b Axar 37, Avi Barot c Raval b Axar 27, Vishwaraj Jadeja c Parthiv b Nagwaswalla 26, Sheldon Jackson c Parthiv b Kalaria 103, Arpit Vasavada c Bhatt b Nagwaswalla 0, Chirag Jani lbw b Kalaria 0, Prerak Mankad b Nagwaswalla 15, Jaydev Unadkat (not out) 5, Chetan Sakariya c Parthiv b Axar 0; Extras (lb-5, nb-2, w-5): 12; Total (in 127.4 overs): 304.
Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-102, 3-102, 4-162, 5-162, 6-265, 7-266, 8-297, 9-303.
Gujarat bowling: Kalaria 28-9-79-2, Gaja 27-13-59-0, Nagwaswalla 29-8-81-5, Axar 32.4-13-56-3, Bhatt 11-0-24-0.
Gujarat — 1st innings: Samit Gohel b Sakariya 1, Priyank Panchal lbw b Unadkat 0, Bhargav Merai c Jackson b Mankad 13, Dhruv Raval c Parmar b Unadkat 35, Rujul Bhatt (batting) 27, Parthiv Patel c Sakariya b Dharmendrasinh 27, Chirag Gandhi c Parmar b Dharmendrasinh 0, Axar Patel (batting) 7; Extras (lb-4, w-5): 9; Total (for six wkts. in 39 overs): 119.
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-1, 3-37, 4-58, 5-95, 6-97.
Saurashtra bowling: Unadkat 12-1-42-2, Sakariya 9-1-28-1, Mankad 8-2-13-1, Jani 6-0-22-0, Dharmendrasinh 4-0-10-2.