In a dramatic rain-affected encounter at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Monday, Saurashtra clinched a berth in the semifinals of the prestigious Vijay Hazare Trophy. They defeated a formidable Uttar Pradesh side by 17 runs via the VJD method after persistent showers halted their chase.
Uttar Pradesh's Competitive Total Despite Early Jitters
Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Uttar Pradesh faced an early setback, losing opener Aryan Juyal for a duck with the score at just 10. Rituraj Sharma also fell cheaply as Saurashtra's bowlers made early inroads. However, the innings was resurrected through a solid partnership between Abhishek Goswami and Sameer Rizvi, both of whom scored brilliant 88 runs each.
Goswami's 82-ball knock was laced with 12 fours, while Rizvi hammered 10 boundaries and two sixes. They laid a strong foundation, with Rizvi adding crucial stands with Prashant Veer (30) and later with Priyam Garg, who contributed 35. Captain Rinku Singh managed only 13 runs. A late cameo of 20 from just 11 balls by Zeeshan Ansari propelled UP to a competitive total of 310 for 8 in their 50 overs.
For Saurashtra, left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 wickets for 54 runs. Ankur Panwar and Prerak Mankad took two wickets apiece, though Panwar proved expensive.
Desai's Masterclass and the Rain Interruption
Chasing 311 for victory, Saurashtra's reply was built around a magnificent, unbeaten century from their skipper, Harvik Desai. He anchored the innings perfectly, remaining not out on exactly 100 from 116 deliveries when the rain arrived, hitting eight fours and two sixes.
Desai found a perfect ally in all-rounder Prerak Mankad, with the duo stitching together a massive 133-run partnership for the second wicket. Mankad played a fluent innings of 67 off 66 balls. After his dismissal, Desai continued the charge with Chirag Jani, who was looking dangerous on an unbeaten 40 off just 31 balls. Their unbroken 76-run stand had put Saurashtra in the driver's seat at 238 for 3 in 40.1 overs.
VJD Method Decides the Outcome
With heavy rain preventing any further play, the match officials applied the V Jayadevan (VJD) method to determine the result. At the point of interruption, Saurashtra were ahead of the par score by 17 runs, and were thus declared the winners. This victory propelled them into the final four of the national One-Day tournament.
The result was particularly impressive as Saurashtra overcame the Group B toppers, Uttar Pradesh, who had entered the knockout stage with an unblemished record from the league phase. Saurashtra themselves had finished second in Group D with five wins from seven matches.
Brief Scores:
Uttar Pradesh: 310/8 in 50 overs (Abhishek Goswami 88, Sameer Rizvi 88; Chetan Sakariya 3/54)
Saurashtra: 238/3 in 40.1 overs (Harvik Desai 100*, Prerak Mankad 67, Chirag Jani 40*)
Result: Saurashtra won by 17 runs (VJD Method)
