Ranji Trophy: Punjab beat hosts Chandigarh to clinch first win of season

Resuming from their overnight total of 168/7, Chandigarh’s tail-enders offered little resistance, as the side was bowled out for 195

Led by an unbeaten century from skipper Uday Saharan (117), Punjab romped to a convincing eight-wicket win over Chandigarh in their Ranji Trophy elite group encounter at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium, Chandigarh, on Monday. This is Punjab’s first win of the season, coming after they recorded three draws in a row.

This is Punjab’s first win of the season, coming after they recorded three draws in a row (Representational Image)

Resuming from their overnight total of 168/7, Chandigarh’s tail-enders offered little resistance, adding only 27 runs, as the side was bowled out for 195, setting a target of 227. The hosts suffered a major setback when their key pacer Jagjit Singh Sandhu, who had earlier taken crucial wickets in the first innings, fell ill and was unable to bowl in the second innings. His absence proved a critical blow to the UT camp as Chandigarh struggled to defend their total.

Punjab’s chase was not without trouble as the visitors were reeling at 88/2 at one stage, but Saharan and unbeaten Jashanpreet Singh (57) stitched together a composed 139-run unbeaten stand by steering the team to 227/2 in 66.4 overs.

Earlier, Chandigarh scored 173 and 195 across their two innings, while Punjab’s first innings total was 142. Ayush Goyal was the standout bowler for Punjab, taking 4/48 in the second innings, as part of an eight-wicket match tally.