Parthiv's Gujarat keep date with history

INDORE: It was a day and moment he had waited years and years for. Since 2004, when he stopped becoming a regular member of the Indian team, all Parthiv Patel did was to lead Gujarat, a team which would usually crash out at the league stage in the Ranji Trophy. However, this season, everything he has touched has turned into gold, and nothing could deny the

Gujarat

skipper and his team their hour of glory this time around.

Just a month after making a successful comeback into the Indian team after eight years, the 31-year-old cracked a tournament-defining, 143 (196b; 24x4) against Mumbai to steer his side to a magnificent 312-run chase in the final to seal his team's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

It was the first ever Ranji Trophy title for Gujarat and their fourth title in the domestic circuit in the last four years. They won the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 title twice, first in the 2012-13 season and then in 201415, before clinching the Vijay Hazare Trophy last year.

That this five-wicket triumph came against the defending champions, who have won the Ranji 41 times - and who suffered their first-ever defeat in the final since 1990-91, when Haryana pipped them in a thriller by two runs - made the victory sweeter. Not many gave Gujarat a chance ahead of the final against the big guns of domestic cricket, but then Patel and his bunch were confident about keeping their date with history.

Gujarat's cause was no doubt aided by a mediocre effort in the field. Mumbai put on their worst fielding display in a long time, putting down four catches. While Patel didn't offer any chances, he did enjoy plenty of luck. The inside edges which flew off his bat and fetched him boundaries on Saturday would have found the stumps on another day. Then there was a close LBW shout off Shardul Thakur which he managed to survive.

Nothing, though, can take away the credit from the experienced campaigner's brilliant innings, which was as much about steely resolve as trademark drives and flashy cuts. When he walked in to bat on the morning on the fifth day, Gujarat were on a sticky wicket, needing to chase down 265 more runs and history.

As they lost the wickets of Priyank Panchal and Bhargav Merai to seamer Balwinder Sandhu early, it seemed that the pressure of winning had begun to get to them as they frittered away a strong start.

Having cracked 90 in the first innings, Patel looked to carry on in the same breath as he began stroking the ball freely, before he had the agony of seeing Gujarat's other inform opener Samit Gohel being adjudged caught behind despite there being daylight between ball and bat.

At that point, Mumbai had their tails up and the new batsman, Manprit Juneja, was greeted with constant chatter from rival skipper and 'keeper Aditya Tare. Soon followed a drama which saw Juneja constantly complaining to the umpires about the sledging, even as Mumbai players retorted by telling match officials that the batsman should go 'inside' if he had a problem.

Though Juneja claimed later that he was only trying to break Mumbai's momentum, it was the sort of tactic which may have backfired too, if the 26-year-old had lost his concentration. In stepped the captain, and asked the youngster to just focus on the task and forget everything else.

Shepherded by the calm of the experienced campaigner, Juneja, who had slammed 77 in the first innings, hit his second half-century (54, 115b, 8x4) to provide both momentum and substance to the chase. The batsman kept unleashing his favourite stroke, the punch through the covers, while Patel too attacked the bowling from the other end.

By the time Juneja was out sweeping to part-timer Akhil Herdwadkar, the duo had added 116 for the fourth wicket in 219 balls to shave off a major part of the target. Patel then pressed on the accelerator further, adding 94 for the fifth wicket in 131 balls with Rujul Bhatt (27 not out, 77b, 3x4) to make the victory a formality. How determined he was to be in the middle when Gujarat would ultimately reach 'home' was evident when he cursed himself incessantly after he was out with merely 13 left for history to be achieved.

Windfall awaits Parthiv & Co

Gujarat has already pocketed a handsome Rs 5 core for its feat. Apart from winning Rs 2 crore as prize money, the players are also set to receive Rs 3 crore from the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA). It is believed that GCA boss Amit Shah, the BJP chief, was keenly following the score.