Saurashtra, known for their consistent performance in the Ranji Trophy over the years, faced off against Bengal in the final of the 2022-23 season at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It was a dream start to the game for Saurashtra’s seamer Chetan Sakariya, who got rid of two Bengal batters in the very first over of the match.
Sakariya’s impressive inswinging delivery bamboozled Sudip Gharami, leaving him with no clue as the ball nipped back in and crashed into his off-stump. This delivery left the Bengal side reeling at a score of 2 for 3.
Consistent Performances by Saurashtra
Saurashtra has made it to the Ranji Trophy final for the fifth time in nine years, which speaks volumes about their consistency. The quality of the Saurashtra pacers was evident from the way they started with the new ball on the first day of the final.
Sakariya, in particular, had an outstanding first over, dismissing the opener Sumanta Gupta on the second delivery and stunning Gharami with his incredible inswinger on the fourth delivery.
Watch Video :
— Rahul Chauhan (@ImRahulCSK11) February 16, 2023
The Eden Gardens pitch, known for its spicy nature, made things difficult for the Bengal side throughout the innings. At one point, they were placed at 65 for 6, with skipper Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya taking three wickets each, not allowing the Bengal batters to settle in the first innings of the game. Chirag Jani also got rid of a couple of Bengal batters.
Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhishek Porel’s 101-run partnership for the seventh wicket allowed the Bengal side to recover somewhat, with Ahmed scoring 69 runs and Porel contributing 50 runs. However, after losing the wickets of Ahmed and Porel, the Bengal side collapsed, getting all out for a mediocre score of 174 runs in the first innings, making things difficult for them in the final.