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Chandigarh slump to innings defeat against Saurashtra in Ranji Trophy
Saurashtra is now placed second in the group behind Madhya Pradesh, and will qualify for the next round if Karnataka fails to win against Punjab in their tie on Sunday
Chandigarh faced a crushing innings and 56-run defeat against Saurashtra on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B encounter at the Cricket Stadium, Sector 16, on Saturday.
Saurashtra is now placed second in the group behind Madhya Pradesh, who took the top spot after beating Maharashtra, and will qualify for the next round if Karnataka fails to win against Punjab in their tie on Sunday.
After opting to field, Saurashtra dominated proceedings by bowling out the hosts for 136 in the first innings. The visitors then produced a batting masterclass, declaring at a massive 453 for 3. Although Chandigarh showed some resistance in their second innings, a disciplined bowling performance led by Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (4/53) and Chirag Jani (4/78) saw them bowled out for 261. Rajangad Bawa (55) was the top scorer, while Shivam Bhambari (48) and Vaibhav Narang (47) contributed decent scores.
Meanwhile, Karnataka had a rough day against hosts Punjab on Day 3 at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali. Shreyas Gopal’s first-innings fifty (77) gave the visitors a seven-run lead after they scored 316 in response to Punjab’s 309. However, the hosts responded well to reach 119/3 at the end of Day 3. For Punjab, captain Uday Saharan is unbeaten on 63, with Anmolpreet Singh batting on six in their second innings.
With one day remaining, Karnataka will be eyeing a successful finish to the game to secure a win and seal their spot in the knockouts, requiring them to bring their ‘A’ game to the front.
