Gujarat pacers, led by left-arm seamer Arzan Nagwaswalla (four for 34) along with skipper Chintan Gaja (three for 34) and Priyajitsing Jadeja, bowled their side to a thumping 111-run win over Tamil Nadu on the final day of the first-round Ranji Trophy clash at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium here on Monday.
The trio produced a disciplined bowling performance with their impeccable control over line and length to share nine wickets. The seamers bowled to their field with a tight line outside off-stump and got the ball swinging almost through the day, even with the old ball, choking the run flow.
Chasing 299 for victory, the visitors’ batters — some with international and India A experience — were found wanting against the moving ball and surrendered meekly to be bowled out for 187.
Gaja gave the host an early strike when he had Sai Sudharsan trapped leg-before. B. Indrajith and R. Sai Kishore then steadied things, surviving a testing phase before the first drinks interval, scoring only 18 runs in 15 overs. Having done the hard work, the duo scored freely in the last hour before lunch.
Indrajith and the TN skipper took on Ravi Bishnoi to find the boundaries easily and got the side into a good position.
But in the final over before lunch, Indrajith tried to feel for a delivery outside off-stump away from his body and gave a simple catch to slip, undoing all the hard work.
Post lunch, Gujarat then steadily chipped away with Nagwaswalla removing Sai Kishore trapped in front while Gaja had Vijay Shankar caught behind with a poor shot poking outside the off-stump.
Even as Pradosh Ranjan Paul showed it was still a good pitch to bat by being assured of his off-stump and leaving well, the rest of the TN batters could not offer a fight, with no batter even getting a half-century. Once N. Jagadeesan dragged one onto his stumps while trying to pull Priyajitsing before tea, the writing was on the wall.
The scores:
Gujarat — 1st innings: 236.
Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 250.
Gujarat — 2nd innings: 312.
Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: B. Sachin c Umang Rohit Kumar b Gaja 4, B. Sai Sudharsan lbw b Gaja 18, Washington Sundar c Ripal b Nagwaswalla 6, R. Sai Kishore lbw b Nagwaswalla 48, B. Indrajith c Umang b Priyajitsing 39, Pradosh Ranjan Paul (not out) 39 , Vijay Shankar c Urvil b Gaja 16, N. Jagadeesan b Priyajitsing 9, M. Mohammed lbw b Nagaswalla 4, Sandeep Warrier lbw b Nagwaswalla 1, Trilok Nag c Panchal b Bishnoi 0, Extras (b-1, lb-2): 3; Total (in 81.2 overs): 187
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-26, 3-34, 4-117, 5-117, 6-138, 7-168, 8-174, 9-180.
Gujarat bowling: Gaja 19-8-34-3, Priyajitsing 18-7-37-2, Nagwaswalla 22-9-34-4, Bishnoi 14.2-0-57-1, Hingrajia 5-1-14-0, Ripal 3-2-8-0.
