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PlayersRanji Trophy: Harpreet Brar’s seven-for puts Punjab on top vs Chhattisgarh
Punjab push for a win after enforcing the follow on and reducing Chhattisgarh to 123/7, still 127 runs adrift at stumps on Day 3
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Punjab left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar’s sensational 7/56 in the first innings and Emanjot Singh Chahal’s miserly spell in the second kept the team in control of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B clash against Chhattisgarh at stumps on Day 3 on Tuesday.
Brar’s spell saw Chhattisgarh bundled out for 206 in reply to Punjab’s imposing first-innings total of 456. Punjab enforced the follow-on and reduced the visitors to 123/3 in 54 overs. At stumps, Chhattisgarh were still trailing by 127 runs.
A dry pitch has increasingly favoured spin, and Punjab’s left-armers exploited the conditions. Harpreet led the charge in the first innings, while Chahal emerged the standout bowler in the second.
Deep Dive
Harpreet has so far taken eight wickets in the game. His haul in 23.5 overs were instrumental in dismantling Chhattisgarh’s batting line-up. Bowling with control and exploiting the pitch condition, he struck repeatedly to undermine the batting after Chhattisgarh resumed on 72/5.
Amandeep Khare, coming in at No.5, offered resistance with a determined 91 off 154 balls (11x4, 1x6). Khare held the innings together and found some support from Vikalp Tiwari, who contributed 47 off 81 deliveries. The pair added 83 runs for the sixth wicket before off-spinner Harjas Singh provided the breakthrough by trapping Tiwari leg before.
Harjas Singh finished with 3/68.
Khare fell short of a deserved century when Harpreet had him caught to dismiss Chhattisgarh for 206 in 64.5 overs, the visitors losing their last five wickets for 78 runs.
With a 250-run lead, the home team enforced the follow on.
Khare was again providing the resistance as he reached 37, and was batting with opener Aayush Pandey, who had made a patient 59 off 161 balls.
Skipper Uday Saharan’s magnificent 161 had helped Punjab score 456 in 152.5 overs in their first innings. Chhattisgarh’s seasoned left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who played most of his career for Saurashtra before making the switch, was their most successful bowler, claiming 7/173.
Following on, Chhattisgarh again found it difficult to score against Punjab’s spinners. Chahal produced a disciplined spell, taking two for 13 in 14 overs, eight of them maiden. His figures underline the challenges posed by spinners on the dry surface.
Chahal dismissed Sanidhya Hurkat for 25 and Ashutosh Singh for a duck in quick succession, reducing Chhattisgarh to 48/2. A run later, Harpreet removed Sanjeet Desai for a duck as Punjab tightened their grip on the match. However, Pandey and Khare dug in to take the team to 123/3 at stumps.
With Chhattisgarh still 127 runs behind, Punjab will aim to exploit the conditions on the fourth day. The visitors need to battle it out to avoid defeat.
Brief scores: Punjab: 456. Chhattisgarh 206 in 64.5 overs (Amandeep Khare 91, Vikalp Tiwari 47, Harpreet Brar 7/56, Harjas Singh 3/68) & 123/3 in 54 overs (Aayush Pandey 59*, Emanjot Singh Chahal 2/13).
