Saurashtra and Bengal battled it out in the Ranji Trophy Final 2023. Saurashtra skipper Jaydev Unadkat led his team and achieved a special feat by becoming the first Saurashtra bowler to bag 300 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. The left-arm medium pacer got rid of Abhimanyu Easwaran, providing the first jolt to Bengal, and continued to attack their batting line-up from the first over. He went on to dismiss Bengal skipper Manoj Tiwary in the fifth over, and finally ended Bengal’s innings at a moderate 174, by taking a catch off his own bowling.
On the other hand, Chetan Sakariya supported Unadkat by taking three wickets, leaving Bengal reeling at 17/4 inside five overs. The visitors ended Day 1 on 81/2, with Saurashtra’s Vishvaraj Jadeja (40*) and Arpit Vasavada (31*) at the crease.
Here’s what you need to know about the Ranji Trophy Final 2023:
- Jaydev Unadkat’s Achievement:
Jaydev Unadkat achieved the feat of becoming the first-ever Saurashtra bowler to reach 300 wickets in Ranji Trophy history. He is already a record holder for the most wickets by a pace bowler in a single Ranji Trophy season. In the 2019-20 season, he bagged 67 wickets in ten matches.
- Saurashtra’s Bowling Line-Up:
Saurashtra’s left-arm pace duo, Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya, shared six wickets between them, bundling out Bengal for 174. Their bowlers operated on a probing line that teased the batsmen’s off-stump as they called the shots on Day 1 at Eden Gardens. Chiraj Jani, the third seamer, also chipped in with a wicket.
- Bengal’s Poor Performance:
Bengal skipper Manoj Tiwary requested a spicy pitch with pace and bounce to trouble Saurashtra’s batsmen who thrived on “low and slow” surfaces. Bengal lost their top-order early as they struggled against Saurashtra’s bowling line-up. Veteran crisis man Anustup Majumdar, Bengal’s leading run-getter this season, tried to salvage the innings but fell after losing his patience. Shahbaz Ahmed (69) and Abhishek Porel (50) were the only batsmen who stood up to Saurashtra’s bowlers.
- Saurashtra’s Batting Line-Up:
Saurashtra’s opening pair, Harvik Desai and Avi Barot, gave their team a solid start, putting up a 57-run partnership. However, Bengal’s Ishan Porel got rid of Barot (24) and Sheldon Jackson (1) in quick succession. The visitors ended Day 1 on 81/2, with Vishvaraj Jadeja (40*) and Arpit Vasavada (31*) at the crease.
- Saurashtra’s Previous Win:
Saurashtra had last lifted the trophy during the 2019-20 season, where they had defeated Bengal in the final.
Released from the national squad, skipper Jaydev Unadkat stands up for his state with aplomb. 3 for 44 from 13.1, scalping 2 of the biggest fishes. Last time Saurashtra won the crown, in 2019/20, he bagged the most wickets ever (67) by a pacer in a season. #RanjiTrophy #BENvSAU pic.twitter.com/kpCIrzNngd
— Srinjoy Sanyal (@srinjoysanyal07) February 16, 2023
Jaydev Unadkat’s achievement has added another feather to his cap in domestic cricket. He and his team are in the driver’s seat on Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy Final 2023. Bengal needs to put up a better performance in their bowling and batting to challenge Saurashtra in the upcoming days of the match. However, with the experienced players like Manoj Tiwary and Shahbaz Ahmed in their line-up, Bengal can still make a comeback in the match. The match is finely poised, and the next few days will decide which team emerges as the winner of the coveted Ranji Trophy. The fans and supporters of both teams are eagerly waiting to see who lifts the trophy this year!
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