Irani Cup HIGHLIGHTS, Saurashtra vs RoI, Day 4: Easwaran fify leads Rest of India to eight-wicket win

Mukesh Kumar for his first-innings spell of 10-4-23-4

Arpit Vasavada into the attack. Tosses it up outside the off-stump and Bharat puts it through cover for FOUR to level the scores. A single to point and Rest of India wins the Irani Cup by eight wickets.

A breezy half-century for Easwaran on the back of seven boundaries from 70 balls.

Bharat (9*) and Easwaran (33*) to resume for RoI with the team 48 runs away from the win. D Jadeja to continue.

Bharat and Easwaran have opted to take it slow and spend some time in the middle before overhauling the deficit. Saurashtra’s positive response with the bat has helped it stretch the game past the first session on day 4.

Prerak Mankad gives a loose short ball to Bharat who drives easily past the cover fielder for FOUR and brings up the 50 for Rest of India.

Yash Dhull has every reason to be aggrieved for having been adjudged lbw when the ball was sliding way past the leg-stump. But Unadkat’s persistence pays. He gets a second wicket.

Yash Dhull is beaten by Sakariya on length. He follows it up with two flourishing drives through cover for FOURs.

Unadkat to Panchal, OUT! Unadkat finds the outside-edge. Panchal is caught behind as the ball moves inward and straightens to clip the blade on its way to the keeper.

Priyank Panchal 2(18) ct Snell Patel b J Unadkat

Unadkat comes around the wicket to angle the ball inward but Easwaran leans into a gentle push through cover and finds FOUR runs.

Concussion sub Priyank Panchal and Abhimanyu Easwaran open for Rest of India. Jaydev takes the new ball for Saurashtra.

Kuldeep to Unadkat, OUT! Short outside the off-stump and Unadkat edges it to the keeper. FIVE wickets for Kuldeep as Saurashtra is bowled out for 380, leaving RoI a 105-run target.

Kuldeep to Parth, OUT! Full and straight and Kuldeep beats Parth’s defence to hit the pads plumb in front. Chetan Sakariya walks in.

Parth Bhut 7(16) lbw Kuldeep Sen

Positive start for Unadkat. Kuldeep cramps him up with a straight delivery but Unadkat does well to glide it past the slip cordon for FOUR.

Jaydev Unadkat (78*) and Parth Bhut (6*) walk out to the middle for Saurashtra. Kuldeep Sen into the attack.

​Priyank Panchal to replace Mayank Agarwal as concussion substitute​

Kuldeep Sen bowled a lethal spell up front but Saurashtra’s middle and lower order staged a spirited fightback to stretch the Irani Cup tie into the fourth day at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Monday.

When Sen struck thrice in his opening spell to leave Saurashtra tottering at 87 for five, the demons of the first innings collapse were hovering over their head. To wipe off the first innings deficit of 276 and make Rest of India bat again was a distant dream.

By the end of the day’s play, however, riding on two entertaining partnerships, Saurashtra ended the day at a respectable 368 for eight, with a lead of 92. It will take a Herculean task for captain Jaydev Unadkat (78*, 116b, 8x4, 2x6) to stretch the lead beyond 150 runs and give his bowling unit a remote chance of a win.

When Arpit Vasavada, the Player-of the-Match in the semifinal and the final of Saurashtra’s triumphant Ranji Trophy campaign in 2019-20, joined veteran Sheldon Jackson in the middle, Sen was on fire. The lanky pacer had accounted for Chirag Jani (off-stump uprooted cartwheeling), big fish Cheteshwar Pujara (edged off the shoulder of the bat to the ‘keeper) and night-watcher Dharmendra Jadeja (scooped to covers) in his first four overs.

Jackson and Vasavada played the pacers on the backfoot. Once spin was introduced, Jackson started opening up his shoulders, while left-handed Vasavada scored freely square of the wickets. Despite Saurabh Kumar and Jayant Yadav employing a fielder on the boundary right behind the bowler to restrict Jackson’s trademark lofted straight drive, the batter swiftly hoicked them over covers.

Just when the partnership was looking dangerous, Jackson was caught at covers off Mukesh Kumar. Vasavada too missed a sweep off Saurabh and at 215 for seven, it looked like a day three finish was inevitable.

Unadkat and Prerak Mankad then put together a strokeful partnership to the delight of a handful of spectators, including the captain’s family members. Both played the tiring bowlers with panache, impressing with their clean hitting. Unadkat, on 54, was fortunate to have been dropped at deep square by Jayant off a perfect short ball by Umran Malik.

Had Mankad not scooped a Jayant long-hop to Umran on the on-side in the dying minutes, Rest of India would have started feeling jittery at the start of Tuesday’s play.

SCORES

Saurashtra - 1st innings: 98

Rest of India - 1st innings: 374

Saurashtra - 2nd innings: Harvik Desai c Vihari b Saurabh 20, Snell Patel c Sarfaraz b Saurabh 16, Chirag Jani b Sen 6, Dharmendra Jadeja c Abhimanyu b Sen 25, Cheteshwar Pujara c Bharat b Sen 1, Sheldon Jackson c Saurabh b Mukesh 71, Arpit Vasavada lbw b Saurabh 55, Prerak Mankad c Umran b Jayan 72, Jaydev Unadkat (batting) 78, Parth Bhut (batting) 6; Extras (b-4, lb-10, nb-2, w-2) 18; Total (for eight wkts. in 98 overs) 368.

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-38, 3-55, 4-57, 5-87, 6-204, 7-215, 8-359.

Rest of India bowling: Mukesh 18-6-49-1, Sen 16-1-85-3, Umran Malik 16-5-59-0, Saurabh 25-5-80-3, Jayant 20-3-72-1, Sarfaraz 3-0-9-0.