Haryana secured a notable victory by defeating defending champions Saurashtra by four wickets in a Ranji Trophy match in Rajkot on January 14.
On Day 3, Saurashtra, starting at 148 for six, extended their second innings to reach a total of 220 all out, with contributions from skipper Jaydev Unadkat (23) and Parth Bhut (47). This set a target of 166 runs for Haryana.
Haryana faced some tense moments before securing victory in the final session, losing three quick wickets during the chase. Ashok Menaria (58 not out) played a pivotal role, supported by Rahul Tewatia (10 not out).
Saurashtra missed an opportunity on the opening day when they were dismissed for 145, with Jayant Yadav claiming a five-wicket haul. In response, Haryana posted a total of 200 in their first innings, and Saurashtra performed admirably to dismiss them after a strong start by the visitors.
Spinners, including Jayant and Nishant Sindhu from Haryana, played a significant role in the game. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Bhut, and Yuvrajsinh Jadeja were the main wicket-takers for the hosts.
Cheteshwar Pujara contributed 49 and 43 in his two innings.
This marked Saurashtra's first defeat of the season after securing three points against Jharkhand in their opening game.
For Haryana, the result was timely as they had to share a point each with Rajasthan in their initial game, where only 42 overs could be bowled due to bad light.
Brief scores: Saurashtra 145 and 220 in 78.3 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 43, Arpit Vasavada 45, Parth Bhut 47; Nishant Sindhu 5/84). Haryana 200 in 67 overs and 168/6 in 59.1 overs (Ashok Menaria 58 not out; Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 4/58). Haryana won by four wickets.
Teams:
Haryana Playing XI: Vedant Bhardwaj, Ankit Kumar, Himanshu Rana, Nishant Sindhu, Ashok Menaria(c), Rohit Parmod Sharma(w), Rahul Tewatia, Sumit Kumar, Anshul Kamboj, Jayant Yadav, Sanjay Pahal
Saurashtra Playing XI: Harvik Desai(w), Snell Patel, Sheldon Jackson, Cheteshwar Pujara, Arpit Vasavada, Prerak Mankad, Chirag Jani, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Jaydev Unadkat(c), Parth Bhut, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya
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