Ranji Trophy: HP thrash Punjab by an innings and 107 runs

MOHALI: Batsmen set up the game for Himachal Pradesh on the first day and the bowlers finished it on the fourth, as hosts Punjab were demolished by an innings and 117 runs in the Group 'B' encounter at the IS Bindra PCA Stadium on Sunday.
It was Himachal Pradesh's first win over Punjab. Of their previous 20 encounters, they had lost 17 and drawn three.Seasoned off-spinner Gurvinder Singh (4 for 44) recorded his fifth four-wicket haul in first-class cricket, while left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar (2/42) continued his first-innings form as Punjab were bowled out for 199 inside three sessions.
The spin twins helped Himachal Pradesh garner seven points, including a bonus. What makes the victory more creditable is the way the team bounced back from a thrashing at the hands of Hyderabad in their previous match.
Resuming from their overnight score of 195 for 8, Punjab folded up in just 23 deliveries. Sandeep Sharma was run out by Pankaj Jaiswal on 12 without adding to his overnight total.
In the next ball, pacer Arpit Guleria castled Shubek Singh Gill on 41 to seal the match. Gill was Punjab's highest individual run-getter on a pitch that offered little help to bowlers.
After this match, Punjab selectors are likely to drop more batsmen than the slip fielders of Himachal Pradesh did. Opener Abhijeet Garg, who was dropped twice on 45 in the second innings, was the only specialist Punjab batsman to survive for more than 100 deliveries in the match. The entire top order will be dreading a knock upon their hotel room door before the next match against Tamil Nadu at the same venue from December 14.
Punjab skipper Mandeep said after the match: "There is no excuse. Himachal Pradesh outplayed us in every department. As a team, I think we failed miserably." Credit where due, but the toss also played its part. Mandeep called right but put the visitors in to bat.
It is also true that the hosts were a depleted side without four key players. Star opener Shubman Gill, top order batsman Anmolpreet Singh, and medium pacer Siddharth Kaul are on the India 'A' tour of New Zealand, while leg spinner Mayank Markande is in Dhaka, playing in the Emerging Players Tournament.
The captain believes that the team has the potential to bounce back. Mandeep said in the post-match interview: "If we pull up our socks and work harder, it is just a matter of time that everything will fall in place."
On the other hand, an outright victory brought Himachal Pradesh campaign back on the track after a disastrous start. They were at the bottom of the points table when a day before the match, coach Vikram Rathour spoke highly of his spin assets Maynak Dagar and Gurvinder Singh. The tweakers kept his faith and shared 11 wickets between them.
Dagar said: "We batted and bowled well, but we have a long way to go in this season. We were looking for one good win, and now that we have it, our focus is on the next match against Hyderabad." His contribution in the match was 71 runs, six wickets, and the crucial run out of Punjab skipper Mandeep Singh in the second innings.
Brief Scores:
Himachal Pradesh 1st innings: 290 all out in 145.1 overs (Ankit Kalsi 82, Mayank Dagar 71, Rishi Dhawan 61, Nikhil Gangta 58; Sandeep Sharma 5/101, Sanvir Singh 2/58, Raghu Sharma 2/64)
Punjab 1st innings: 84 all out in 35.1 overs (Vinay Chaudhary 24, Shubek Gill 23; Mayank Dagar 4/22, Arpit Guleria 2/24)
Punjab 2nd innings (following on): 199 all out in 81.5 overs (Abhijeet Garg 48, Shubek Gill 41, Gurkeerat Mann 33; Gurvinder Singh 4/44, Mayank Dagar 2/42, Arpit Guleria 2/36)