Ranji Trophy 2019-20 | GUJ v GOA - Gujarat roar into semis with massive win
Gujarat roared into the semifinals of the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy season with a massive 464-run win over Goa in the first quarter-final at Valsad. For his all-round performance — 118 with the bat and match figures of three for 68 with the ball — Roosh Kalaria won the Man-of-the-Match award.
Ever since Goa were bowled out for 173 — conceding a lead of 429 runs — in their first-innings, the fate of the clash has been a mere formality. So, on the penultimate day of proceedings, Gujarat’s failed attempts to push the lead at a quick rate did not affect their hopes of being the first team to make the semi-finals this year. Resuming at 158 for one in their second bout, the hosts went on to lose five wickets while only adding 41 to their total. With the lead at 628 and well over five sessions to go, Parthiv Patel declared.
It seemed like Goa would be put out of their misery soon, as they slipped to 13 for three — with their in-form skipper Amit Verma the third wicket to go. Suyash Prabhudessai toiled away all by himself, hitting 11 fours and a six en route his 66. Darshan Misal’s breezy 46 only came off as blazing flickers in a dying ember. Although a touch on the expensive side, Siddharth Desai’s fifer combined with Arzan Nagwaswalla’s figures of four for 18 off his 13 overs broke the back of the Goan lineup completely.
Gujarat will face one between Saurashtra and Andhra in the semis.
Brief scores: Gujarat 602/8 decl. in 161.3 overs (Parthiv Patel 124; Felix Alemao 3-86) & 199/6 decl. in 64.2 overs (Samit Gohel 72; Lakshay Garg 4-30) beat Goa 173 all-out in 57.5 overs (Amit Verma 56; Chintan Gaja 5-19) & 164 all-out in 66.4 overs (Suyash Prabhudessai 66; Siddharth Desai 5-81) by 464 runs.
