Vijay Hazare Trophy Highlights, semifinals: Tamil Nadu edges out Saurashtra by two wickets in last-ball thriller; Himachal Pradesh thrashes Services by 77 runs
Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 semifinals: Get the commentary and highlights from the semifinals involving Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra, Himachal Pradesh and Services.
Published : Dec 24, 2021 08:08 IST
Welcome to Sportstar's Highlights of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 semifinals between Himachal Pradesh and Services and Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra from Jaipur.
Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 Final
| Fixture | Date | Time | Venue |
| Himachal Pradesh vs Tamil Nadu | December 26 | 9:00 AM | Jaipur |
| HP 281/6 (50) beat SER 204/10 (46.1) by 77 runs | SAU 310/8 (50) lost to TN 314/8 (50) by two wickets |
TN 314/8 in 50 overs: Dipak from TN vs SAU: Leg bye first ball. Sai Kishore on strike. TN needs 6 off 5 balls. Sai gets off strike. TN needs 5 runs to win off 4 balls. Superb strike from Silambarasan. But well-fielded at mid off. Single. TN needs 4 runs to win off 3 balls. That was out of the middle. Almost went to the boundary. Dive at mid off. TN needs 3 to win off 2 balls. Silambarasan back on strike. Sai Kishore gets a single. Controversy! Bouncer above the head and leg umpire calls it wide! TN needs 2 off 2. Score level! 1 needed off 1 ball. Everyone inside the ring. Attempted run out at the bowler's end. Boundary from Sai Kishore and Tamil Nadu wins it off the last ball. He creams it through point. Tamil Nadu wins by two wickets and will meet Himachal Pradesh in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final!
TN 304/8 in 49 overs. TN needs 7 runs to win from the last over. Sakariya gets a fifer.
WICKET! Washington caught behind. Sakariya strikes again! TN 302/7. Needs 9 to win off 9 balls.
TN 300/6 in 48 overs. Needs 11 runs to win from 12 balls.
Himachal Pradesh beats Services by 77 runs.
SER 204/10 in 46.1 overs: In a fitting end to the semifinal, Rishi Dhawan cleans up Bahadur to get his fourth wicket as the skipper ends with figures of 4 for 27. A convincing 77-run win for Himachal Pradesh and it has earned its maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy berth.
TN 287/6 in 47 overs. TN needs 24 runs to win from 18 balls.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Shahrukh is out at deep midwicket. Sakariya delivers. Took pace off the delivery. TN 279/6. He departs for 17 off 11 balls.
TN 279/5 in 46 overs: TN needs 32 runs to win from 24 balls. Shahrukh Khan cuts loose with a four and a six and is on 17 off 10 balls.
TN 265/5 in 45 overs: Tamil Nadu needs 46 runs to win off 30 balls. Washington brings up his fifty at run-a-ball while Shahrukh Khan is warming up for a big inning.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Sakariya vs Shahrukh is the key battle in the last six overs. The left-arm pacer has deceptive slower ones. Shahrukh has to watch out for those.
WICKET! Rishi Dhawan gets his third scalp as Pathania holes out. Services 179/8 in 41.1 overs . The chase is unravelling fast.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Aparajith holes out at deep extra cover. He had to go for it as he hit the previous ball for a six. TN 244/5 in 42.2 overs . Yuvraj the bowler. Huge roar in the ground as Shahrukh Khan has walked in. Chants of Shahrukh! Shahrukh! reverberating around the ground.
WICKET! Narang goes and Services' slide continues. WICKET! Another blow next ball as Lochab is run out on the very next ball. That might be the final nail in Services' coffin. Services 174/7 in 40.3 overs.
SER 174/5 in 40 overs: Lochab and Narang are at the crease and one of them will now have to play a blinder as Services still needs 108 runs from 60 balls at 10.8 runs an over. Lochab will be key and has looked in good touch for his 34 off 33 balls.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: TN 230/4 in 40 overs. 81 needed off the last 10 overs. Aparajith is on 112 off 115 balls while Washinton on 31 off 35.
WICKET! Captain Paliwal falls for 55 off 66 balls. Goes aerial looking to clear the fielder at mid on but hands it straight to Rishi Dhawan. Services 154/5.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Ton for Aparajith! Aparajith gets to his ton. Superbly crafted one but job is not done yet. A long way to go. TN 206/4 in 35.1 overs.
SER 149/4 in 35 overs: Services has finally shown some intent, scoring 39 runs in the last five overs. Devender Lochab has struck three boundaries for his 17-ball 18, while Paliwal is on 53 off 63 balls.
TN 205/4 in 35 overs: Aparajith moves to 99 while Washington is on 19 off 15 balls. The match is heading towards a thrilling finish. TN needs 106 runs to win from 90 balls.
50 for Paliwal! He gets two back to back boundaries off Vasisht to bring up his fifty off 58 balls. He will need to get his head down now and play a captain's knock to see his team through to its maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy final.
WICKET! Vasisht removes Rahul Singh to get his second wicket and Services sinks further. Services 115/4 in 30.5 overs .
SER 110/3 in 30 overs: Services seems to have bungled this run chase. It has not been able to rise from the loss of two early wickets at a healthy run rate. Skipper Paliwal has moved to 40 off 54 balls and needs to put his foot on the pedal now as his team needs 172 runs from 120 balls.
TN 174/2 in 30 overs: Dinesh Karthik's wicket came as a huge blow for TN as he was looking good for his 26-ball 31. Aparajith has moved on to 83 off 89 balls and Washington has joined him in the middle. Another 137 runs needed from 20 overs. Game on!
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! HUGE ONE AND DK IS GONE. He is caught at square leg. Unadkat strikes. TN 168/4 in 29.1 overs . Dinesh Karthik was looking very good. Took leg-spinner Yuvraj for a six and two fours in one over. He then pulled a half-tracker from Unadkat straight to the fielder.
SER 87/3 in 25 overs: The Services is in trouble here. Another 195 runs needed off just 120 balls and now it is a T20 chase from here on. Skipper Paliwal is at the crease and he will need to rebuild while keeping a check on the asking rate.
WICKET!Abhishek from HP vs SER - Ravi Chauhan sees a floating, full delivery and smashes it straight to the fielder at long-on. A wicket at last for HP and the task gets tougher for Services. Just one boundary has been scored in 14 overs and the required run-rate has nearly touched 8. Services 85/3.
TN 138/3 in 25 overs: We are at the halfway mark and what a game we have on our hands. The match is perfectly poised with batting powerhouse Tamil Nadu needing 173 runs from 25 overs at just under seven an over. Aparajith has looked good for his unbeaten 75-ball 70 and Dinesh Karthik has started his innings on a positive note with two boundaries.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Indrajith is bowled by Yuvraj Chudasama. Skidded through and kept low. TN 120/3 . Karthik is the new man in and his experience will be key as Tamil Nadu hopes to keep its title hopes alive.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Indrajith gets to his 50 as well. TN 120/2 in 21 overs.
SER 65/2 in 20 overs: Another underwhelming five overs for Services with just 22 runs coming from them. The required rate has shot past seven an over and now it is an uphill task for the chasing team.
TN 113/2 in 20 overs: The stand between the brothers is now worth 90 runs. The duo has also kept abreast of the required rate, scoring 38 runs in the last five overs. Indrajith is also closing in on his half-century. Chirag Jani has gone for 24 runs in just three overs.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Aparajith gets to his 50 off 53 balls but the job is not even half done.
SER 43/2 in 15 overs: Chauhan and Paliwal are finding the going tough as just 13 runs have come in the last five overs. Dhawan has picked up two wickets for just 14 runs in five overs.
TN 75/2 in 15 overs: Good resistance by the brothers so far. Baba Aparajith has moved to 46 off just 47 balls while Indrajith is holding up the other end with 23 off 38 balls. The required run rate is creeping up towards seven however and soon the duo will need to unleash.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: The chemistry between the brothers is not as good as one would expect. More nervy running. Saurashtra missed at least 4 chances at a direct hit.
WICKET! Dhawan is on a roll as he takes his second wicket of the match.Mohit Ahlawat walks back after getting a top egde on a good length delivery. Services 37/2. Skipper Paliwal walks in.
TN 53/2 in 10 overs: The Baba brothers are in rebuild mode and have scored at a healthy rate to ensure that not too much is left at the end. However, a tall order awaits them as TN still needs to go at 6.45 runs an over.
SER 30/1 in 10 overs: A sedate start for Services and Himachal Pradesh is not going down without a fight. Chauhan has looked in good touch for his 25-ball 19, striking four boundaries. This promises to be a thrilling run-chase!
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Some nervy running there between the Baba brothers. Pressure!
WICKET! What a match skipper Rishi Dhawan is having. He cleans up Lakhan Singh in his first over. Services 22/1.
TN 34/2 in 5 overs: Baba Aparajith has looked the sole bright spot so far in his 17-ball 22, which included four boundaries. The wickets of Jagadeesan and Shankar have jolted Tamil Nadu's chase. The Baba brothers will need to put up a huge stand to pull TN out of trouble.
SER 18/0 in 5 overs: A steady start from the openers and clearly the pitch has eased out. Lakhan is on 7 off 19 balls while Chauhan is coasting at a run-a-ball 11.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Vijay Shankar drives straight to point. TN 22/2 and Sakariya gets his 2nd wicket. Baba brothers in now for TN.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Jagadeesan is out for a duck. TN 6/1. Sakariya takes the wicket. Good catch at second slip. Captain Vijay Shankar walks in at number three. Huge task ahead.
TN 5/0 in 1 over: Baba Aparajith and Jagadeesan begin the proceedings for Tamil Nadu while skipper Unadkar steams in with the new ball.
SER 5/0 in 1 over: Ravi Chauhan and Lakhan Singh open the batting for Services and Vinay Galetiya has the new ball. Chauhan flicks one to the mid wicket boundary to collect the first boundary of the innings.
- INNINGS BREAK -
Services needs 282 runs to win from 50 overs vs Himachal Pradesh.
Tamil Nadu needs 311 runs to win from 50 overs vs Saurashtra.
HP 281/6 in 50 overs - Abhishek from HP vs SER: Seven runs and a wicket from the final over as HP finishes with a decent total on the board. Runs galore in the final 10 overs, thanks to Rishi Dhawan and Akash Vasishth. They rode their luck and helped their team gather 74 runs in the last six overs. There were some lusty hits and some streaky boundaries. Pathania and Bahadur were quite expensive in their last few overs.
SAU 310/8 in 50 overs - Dipak from TN vs SAU: Last ball wicket. Saurashtra finishes on 310/8. Vijay Shankar gets three wickets in the final over. TN needs 311 runs to reach the finals. Easy pitch and fast outfield. But scoreboard pressure.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Vasavada goes for a well made 57 off 40 balls. SAU 307/6.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Good final over for Silambarasan. Just six runs and a wicket. SAU 301/5 in 49 overs .
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET ! Silambarasan dismisses Samarth Vyas and gets his 3rd wicket. SAU 295/5 48.1 overs.
SAU 295/4 in 48 overs - Dipak from TN vs SAU: Arpit vasavada has taken Vijay Shankar for back to back boundaries. SAU 295/4 in 48 overs .
HP 250/5 in 47 overs: Vasisht has put HP in a commanding position with a blitz of 35 from 20 balls and was lucky to get a reprieve in the 47th over when he was caught off a Pathania no-ball.
WICKET! Dipak from TN vs SAU: Sheldon is out caught at midwicket for a 125-ball 134. Vijay Shankar takes his first wicket. SAU 274/4 in 46 overs.
HP 221/5 in 45 overs: A masterclass in a captain's knock from Rishi Dhawan. He has paced his innings to perfection and now has 65 runs off 66 balls with seven fours and a six. Akash Vasisht is letting off the pressure from the other end with a couple of boundaries.
SAU 261/3 in 45 overs: 44 runs have come in the last five overs. Jackson has found the rope again after a brief lull. Vasavada, on 21 off 23 balls, has held the other end well but will need to go big with Saurashtra will be keen to give its bowlers enough cushion against a formidable Tamil Nadu batting lineup.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Shahrukh Khan has a lot of support at the ground. He is patrolling the straight boundary at one end. Sheldon has broken his boundary silence after a while. Two boundaries off Sandeep warrier in 45th over. SAU 261/3.
WICKET! Abhishek from HP vs SER: Prashant Chopra is caught out against the run of play. He lofts a slower delivery to long-off and doesn’t get the placement or the distance, perhaps foxed by the lack of pace. Meanwhile, Rishi Dhawan reaches his half-century with a single to mid-on – it’s a nice little knock from him, full of strokes. HP 194/5.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Vijay Shankar is back into the attack. A deft late cut to third man takes Sheldon to his 100.
HP 180/4 in 40 overs: HP is in a comfortable position, guided by a strong partnership between Chopra and Dhawan. However, a lot of work still to be done as the duo will be eyeing the seven-run per over mark to get to 250 at least and give the bowlers something to bowl at.
SAU 217/3 in 40 overs: Jackson and Vasavada have a perfect platform to launch from in the slog overs. Jackson is still two short of his hundred while Vasavada is on 8 runs off 12 balls. Only 23 runs have comes for Saurashtra in the last five overs and it will look to gain momentum ahead of the final 10 overs.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Silambarasan strikes. Removes Prerak Mankad. SAU203/3 in 37th over. He is caught at deep square leg.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Saurashtra cross 200. 201/2 in 36 overs.
HP 149/4 in 35 overs: Chopra and Dhawan are closing in on a fifty-run stand but will need to accelerate to take HP to a competitive total. Chopra is on 61 off 92 balls while Dhawan plods along at 21 off 33.
SAU 194/2 in 35 overs: Jackson and Mankad continue to pile on the runs and take their partnership to 73 runs. Jackson has moved into the nineties while Mankad is coasting along with 31 runs off 27 balls.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Sheldon inching closer to his 100. Saurashtra 183/2 in 33 overs.
HP 128/4 in 30 overs - Abhishek from HP vs SER: Prashant Chopra brings up his 50 with a six down the ground off Rahul Singh, the left-arm spinner. Comes down the track and elegantly lofts it straight back over the bowler’s head, and the ball hits the sightscreen. That’s the second six of his innings. He’s only hit one four, though, most of his runs coming in singles. The experienced Rishi Dhawan is at the other end and this partnership will be key as HP looks to make a comeback after a flurry of setbacks.
SAU 162/2 in 30 overs: Jackson and Mankad have stepped up the scoring rate after Jadeja's wicket. Mankad has smashed two fours and a six for his 12-ball 19 so far, while Jackson is cruising at 73 off 75 balls. Sundar has been particularly expensive today, going for 31 runs in four overs without a wicket.
HP 107/4 in 25 overs: A crucial passage of play for both teams. Himachal Pradesh will have to consolidate and ensure that all the good work it did upfront is not thrown away. Prashant Chopra, unbeaten on 40, will be key for the batting side. Meanwhile, Services will look to make more inroads as HP risks going into a shell after being jolted at regular intervals.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET ! Siddharth strikes. Jadeja goes for a big one, mistimes to long off fielder. SAU 123/2 in the 25th over.
WICKET! Pathania traps Amit Kumar in front and HP in a spot of bother here after losing two quick wickets. A hint of away movement for Pathania who pitched it between middle and off and moved it away to take Amit's pad. He goes for a duck. HP 106/4.
WICKET! Gangta is run out and HP loses its third wicket. He steered it to point and Rahul Singh pulled off a great dive to stop the ball and threw it back to the keeper immediately. Gangta was nowhere in the frame as he tried to scurry back. HP 104/3
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Both Jadeja and Jackson have got to their fifties. Very well constructed knocks. They have taken on the TN spinners and played mostly straight while attacking. Sensible batting. The pitch is an easy one. Historically a high-scoring venue.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Experienced Sheldon Jackson showing what damage he can do. A six and four off M Siddharth's first over. He gets close to a 50. 110/1 in 22 overs.
HP 85/2 in 20 overs: Chopra and Rangi were going steady and even looking to step on the gas before Rahul Singh knocked the latter over. Nikhil Gangta joins Chopra, who is on 33 off 50 balls. Five bowlers have been used so far by the Services. Abhishek Tiwari and Pulkit Narang have been expensive.
WICKET! Rahul Singh cleans up Rangi. Pitched it on middle and it turned away sharply from Rangi, who had backed out on leg trying to dab it at short third, and flattened his off stump. HP 82/2.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Sai Kishore coming under attack. Jackson lofts him out of the ground now. TN properly under pressure. The Vijay Shankar move also hasn't worked. He has given a boundary in 4 of 5 overs. We might see changes from both ends, I guess.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: Runs coming thick and fast now for Saurashtra. Jadeja is cutting loose a bit now. A six off Sai Kishore. Saurashtra 76/1 in 17 overs.
HP 61/1 in 15 overs: Chopra and Rangi have looked to up the ante with 24 runs coming in the last five overs. Rangi (25 off 46) particularly has taken the initiative, smashing a couple of boundaries and a six. Chopra on the other hand is on 23 off 36, having added a boundary to his name. The pitch seems to be settling in and both batters have got their eye in and will look to cut loose. Pulkit Narang introduced spin in the 15th over and extracted turn straightaway.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: 15 overs up and Saurashtra is 61/1. Surprising that spinners M Siddharth or Washington haven't been tried yet.
SAU 61/1 in 15 overs: Jadeja and Jackson have propped up Saurashtra with a 30-run partnership. Jackson has been scoring at a healthy rate for his 26-ball 20 that includes four boundaries.
Abhishek from HP vs SER: Digvijay Rangi brings up the 50 for HP in the 13th over with a nice drive for six through extra cover. In the first hour, Services’ seamers got a lot of swing; there were some plays and misses and a few edges, but they weren’t able to convert them into wickets. Pathania couldn’t believe it when the umpire turned down the appeal for caught behind in the ninth over (Prashant Chopra was the batter), and he signalled a ‘T’ to suggest he would have taken a review had it been available. Chopra hit the other six of the morning, in the eighth over, off Raj Bahadur. Again, a nice lofted drive.
HP 31/1 in 10 overs: Both semifinals seem to be progressing at an identical rate. Chopra and Rangi have looked circumspect after Arora fell early on. Just the two boundaries in the innings so far. Chopra smashed a maximum off Bahadur in the eighth over after Arora swatted a boundary on the off side before getting out. Chopra 12 off 18 and Rangi 7 off 34.
SAU 37/1 in 10 overs: Sheldon Jackson joins Jadeja in the middle. Jadeja has struck three fours for his 18 off 33 balls while Jackson is on 6 off 8 balls.
Dipak from TN vs SAU: WICKET! Silambarasan strikes. First wicket for TN. Saurashtra 31/1 in the 8th over. Desai departs for 9 off 19 balls.
SAU 31/0 in 7 overs: Viharsinh Jadeja and Harvik Desai have kept the TN bowlers at bay while scoring at a sedate pace. However, looking at the way the tournament has progressed, this may not be a bad ploy.
Dipak from TN vs SAU : A flurry of boundaries for both batters. Absolutely no help for TN pacers. A mis-field too. Saurashtra is off to a very good start. 23/0 in 4 overs.
HP 13/1 in 5 overs: Chopra and Rangi are rebuilding after Arora fell in the second over. The plan is probably to see off the new ball and not lose too many wickets while it is moving around. The story of the tournament so far has shown that once the pitch settles in and the sun beats down on the pitch, the batters can really go for it.
Abhishek from HP vs SER: WICKET!Four and out . Just after flaying a short and wide delivery from Raj Bahadur Pal through the gap between cover and extra cover, Shubham Arora is trapped lbw. It was a fuller delivery pitching on off-stump and came into the batter slightly. Arora slowly trudged back after the umpire raised the finger. HP 8/1
Pathania is content on bowling short of a length to the batters. He would have got Arora out in the first over itself had the edge not fallen a couple of metres short of third man. Arora tried to play an aggressive stroke through the leg side but edged the ball.
HP 3/0 in 1 over: Shubham Arora and Prashant Chopra open the batting. Diwesh Pathania with the new ball for Services. Three runs off the first over. The early morning swing in cool conditions is back in play as Pathania gets to move the ball around a bit.
TOSS UPDATE: Services has won the toss and elected to field.
Services (Playing XI): Ravi Chauhan, Lakhan Singh, Abhishek Tiwari, Mohit Ahlawat, Rajat Paliwal(c), Rahul Singh, Devender Lohchab(w), Pulkit Narang, Diwesh Pathania, Pal Raj Bahadur, Gahlaut Rahul Singh Himachal Pradesh (Playing XI): Shubham Arora(w), Prashant Chopra, Nikhil Gangta, Rishi Dhawan(c), Amit Kumar, Digvijay Rangi, Mayank Dagar, Akash Vasisht, Vinay Galetiya, Pankaj Jaiswal, Sidharth Sharma |
TOSS UPDATE: TN has won the toss and elected to field.
Tamil Nadu (Playing XI): Baba Aparajith, N Jagadeesan, Baba Indrajith, Vijay Shankar(c), Dinesh Karthik(w), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Manimaran Siddharth, R Silambarasan, Sandeep Warrier Saurashtra (Playing XI): Vishvaraj Jadeja, Harvik Desai, Sheldon Jackson(w), Prerak Mankad, Arpit Vasavada, Samarth Vyas, Chirag Jani, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Yuvraj Chudasama, Jaydev Unadkat(c), Chetan Sakariya |
Tamil Nadu vs Saurashtra - Semifinal Preview
In what promises to be an intriguing contest, Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra - the two strongest among the last four remaining - will face off in the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Jaipur on Friday.
Saurashtra, the only unbeaten side in the tournament, won the quarterfinal against Vidarbha on Wednesday. Led by Jaydev Unadkat, the team’s success has revolved around its bowlers, who bowled out the opposition cheaply before the batters chased down modest targets comfortably in five of the six matches.
ALSO READ : Kamlesh Nagarkoti keen on making up for lost time
Friday’s clash will test Saurashtra’s bowling against the batting firepower of TN, which has the likes of Dinesh Karthik, M Shahrukh Khan, Washington Sundar and N. Jagadeesan in its ranks.
In Unadkat and fellow left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya, Saurashtra has solid new ball bowlers backed up by medium-pacer Chirag Jani. Left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and leg-spinner Yuvraj Chudasama too have left their mark and are second and third behind Jani in the wickets tally for the side.
THE SQUADS TAMIL NADU VS SAURASHTRA TN: Hari Nishanth, N Jagadeesan, Baba Indrajith, Washington Sundar, Dinesh Karthik (w), Vijay Shankar (c), Sanjay Yadav, Shahrukh Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Manimaran Siddharth, Sandeep Warrier, Kaushik Gandhi, Murugan Ashwin, M Mohammed, Laxmesha Suryaprakash, Jagatheesan Kousik, Ganga Sridhar Raju, R Silambarasan, P Saravana Kumar, Sai Sudharsan. SAU: Vishvaraj Jadeja, Harvik Desai, Sheldon Jackson (w), Prerak Mankad, Arpit Vasavada, Chirag Jani, Samarth Vyas, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Yuvraj Chudasama, Jaydev Unadkat (c), Chetan Sakariya, Kamlesh Makvana, Kushang Patel, Himalaya Barad, Snell Patel, Kishan Parmar, Pranav Nandha, Parth Chauhan, Parth Bhut, Devang Karamta. |
Himachal Pradesh vs Services - Semifinal Preview
Himachal Pradesh and Services weren’t favourites to reach the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy when they reached Jaipur for the knockout stages. Yet, thanks to the fight shown by their fast bowlers, they clinically knocked their mightier opponents out and will now bid to make it to their first-ever final in the competition when they clash at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here.
ALSO READ : Rajat Paliwal: 'Services had been playing well, but today we broke the barrier'
HP last played a semifinal in 2015-16 against Delhi, while Services reached its maiden semifinal on Wednesday, beating Kerala by seven wickets at the K. L. Saini Stadium. This will be their first List-A meeting since November, 2014.
Both teams made an impact in the quarterfinals by bowling first and making good use of the assistance in the first hour of the morning, and will look to do the same. The teams have a number of recognised batters, although no superstars, but due to the conditions here and the narrative gauged from the last few matches, the main contest will be between the fiery fast bowlers in Vinay Galetia and Diwesh Pathania.
THE SQUADS HIMACHAL PRADESH VS SERVICES HP: Shubham Arora (w), Prashant Chopra, Nikhil Gangta, Amit Kumar, Rishi Dhawan (c), Sumeet Verma, Akash Vasisht, Mayank Dagar, Ayush Jamwal, Vinay Galetiya, Arpit Guleria, Gurvinder Singh, Pankaj Jaiswal, Priyanshu Khanduri, Vaibhav Arora, Amit Thakur. SER: Ravi Chauhan, Lakhan Singh, Mohit Ahlawat, Rajat Paliwal (c), Gahlaut Rahul Singh, Devender Lohchab (w), Pulkit Narang, Vikas Umesh Yadav, Shakti Malviya, Rahul Singh, Gaurav Kochar, Diwesh Pathania, Mumtaz Qadir, Pal Raj Bahadur, Trivendra Kumar, Varun Choudhary, Shivam Tiwari, Jayjeet Jaiswal, Lovekesh Kumar, Ashish Nuniwal. |
WHERE AND WHEN TO WATCH VIJAY HAZARE TROPHY SEMIFINAL LIVE? The Himachal Pradesh vs Services semifinal will be aired LIVE on the Star Sports Network and will be streamed online on Disney+Hotstar .