Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar was virtually unplayable on a raging turner, returning with a match-haul of 10 wickets as Rest of India pulverised Ranji Trophy champions Saurashtra by 175 runs inside three days to win the Irani Cup here on Tuesday.
As many as 21 wickets fell on the day with Saurashtra being shot out for 79 in just 34.3 overs in pursuit of a near impossible target of 255 which would have taken a Herculean effort on this track. Saurabh Kumar, who has been a regular India A spinner, had match figures of 10/108 (4/65 and 6/43) and his effort trumped opposition’s Parth Bhut, who finished on losing side despite taking 12/147 (5/94 and 7/53).
This was a game where left-arm spinners from either sides accounted 33 of the 40 wickets. The third day started with Saurashtra resuming their first innings at 212 for 9 and were soon all-out for 214, leaving RoI with a decisive first innings lead of 94.
On a track where survival was difficult, a lead of near 100 was as good as 250 on any other surface. The Rest of India, in their second innings, also struggled and were all-out for 160, losing last nine wickets for 43 runs.
N Sai Sudharsan (43 off 104 balls) and veteran Mayank Agarwal (49 off 93 balls) added 85 for the first wicket but from 117 for 1, the slump was sudden with India aspirants Sarfaraz Khan (13) and Yash Dhull (5) failing for the second time in the match.
Sarfaraz played three back-to-back sweeps and then went for a non-existent reverse sweep to a delivery pitched on off-middle line. Seven Rest of India batters failed to reach double figures but the cushion of 94 proved to be the clincher.
Saurashtra batters found it difficult to survive and once left-arm spinner Shams Mulani trapped Cheteshwar Pujara (7) with an arm ball, the home team’s resistance ended. Some deliveries turned and jumped while a few kept low and Saurabh just ran through Saurashtra line-up.
Brief Scores:
Rest of India 308 and 160 in 52 overs (Mayank Agarwal 49, N Sai Sudharsan 43, Parth Bhut 7/53).
Saurashtra 214 and (target 255) 79 in 34.3 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 7, Saurabh Kumar 6/43).
