Fighting victory gives Saurashtra Vijay Hazare semis berth

NEW DELHI: Cheteshwar Pujara-led Saurashtra made heavy weather of a 248-run chase before registering a fighting three-wicket win over statemates Baroda in the third quarterfinal of the Vijay Hazare Trophy here on Thursday. Saurashtra first wobbled and then held their nerve to reach 251/7 in 48.4 overs to book a semifinal berth. They will take on a rampaging Andhra Pradesh at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground on Sunday.
Had it not been for middle-order batsman Arpit Vasavada’s unbeaten 43-ball 45, Saurashtra would have found it difficult to overhaul the target, as they kept losing wickets at crucial junctures.Saurashtra’s chase was also aided by Vasavada’s timely 40-run partnership for the sixth wicket with lower-order batsman Chirag Jani, who scored a valuable 25 to take the side closer to the target.
However, it was opener Avi Barot’s dominating 105-ball 82 and his 102-run stand with Pujara (40) for the third wicket which not only bailed the team out of trouble but also put them on course for a well-deserved victory. Pujara was typically slow in his 66-ball knock and it was Barot who did the bulk of the scoring at the top.
Barot kept rotating strike while looking to hit occasional boundaries. He held the fort at one end as Saurashtra lost opener Samarth Vyas (18) and No. 3 Robin Uthappa (9) early. Earlier, Saurashtra pacer Jani (4/35) ran through Baroda’s top and middle order to reduce them from 101/2 to 105/7 within five overs. But Krunal Pandya (61) and tail-ender Soaeb Tai (72 not out) showed enormous fighting spirit.
Brief scores: Baroda 247/8 (Soaeb Tai 72 not out, Krunal Pandya 61; Chirag Jani 4/35) lost to Saurashtra 251/7 in 48.4 overs (Avi Barot 82, Arpit Vasavada 45; Atit Sheth 3/38)