Gujarat in complete command against Goa

Medium-pacer Chintan Gaja grabbed a five-wicket haul before Gujarat stretched their overall lead to a mammoth 587 runs against Goa in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final on Saturday. Riding centuries by skipper Parthiv Patel and Roosh Kalaria, Gujarat had posted a mammoth 602/8 in their first innings at the Sardar Patel Stadium. The hosts had sent back both the Goa openers on day two itself. On the third day, led by the 25-year-old Gaja (5-19), Gujarat came up with a clinical performance to bowl out Goa for a meagre 173 in 57.5 overs.

However, skipper Parthiv Patel decided not to enforce the follow-on and at stumps, Gujarat had an overall lead of 587 runs. With two days to go, Goa would need nothing short of a miracle to escape a humiliation. Goa's overnight batsmen Smit Patel (31) and skipper Amit Verma (56) failed to convert their starts.

First, Gaja trapped Patel in front of the wicket and then Verma offered a simple catch to Axar Patel off Roosh Kalaria, as Goa slumped to 104/4. Goa suffered a middle-order collapse and were tottering at 137/7, with three wickets falling at the same score. Gaja and Arzan Nagwaswalla (2-51) then rattled the lower-order as none of Goa batsmen showed any fight.

Kalaria (2-47) also played his part to perfection, while Siddharth Desai (1-8) grabbed a wicket. During the Goa innings, Parthiv became the fifth keeper to enter the 300-dismissal club in Ranji Trophy, joining Naman Ojha (351), Vinayak Samant (335), Mahesh Rawat (313) and Pinal Shah (311). In the second innings, Gujarat openers Samit Gohel (70 not out) and Priyank Panchal (37) added 72 for the first wicket as their lead swelled beyond 500. Gohel and Bhargav Merai (49 not out) kept attacking the Goa bowlers and at stumps, the hosts were comfortably placed at 158/1, a staggering overall lead of 587 runs.

Brief Scores

Gujarat 602/8 declared and 158/1 (Samit Gohel 70 not out, Suyash Prabhudessai 1-32) vs Goa 173 (Amit Verma 56,  Chintan Gaja 5-19)