Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Saurashtra, Punjab on level terms after spinners dominate opening day
Left-arm spin ruled the roost as a whopping 23 wickets fell on the opening day of Saurashtra’s crucial Ranji Trophy Group B tie at the Niranjan Shah Stadium C ground in Rajkot on Thursday.
While Harpreet Brar (6/38 & 2/6) and Parth Bhut (5/33) emerged as the stars of Punjab and Saurashtra’s bowling attacks, the game remained in the balance, with Punjab managing to virtually negate the 33-run deficit in the first innings with three quick strikes in Saurashtra’s second essay.
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As a result, when off-spinner Jassinder Singh got one to spin through Jay Gohil’s gates and hit the woodwork, Saurashtra was placed at 24 for three, with an overall lead of 57 runs and nightwatcher Dharmendrasinh Jadeja at the crease.
With Saurashtra in need of outright wins in the last two games to keep its qualification hopes alive, it wasn’t a surprise to see a turning track on offer. While the pitch wasn’t as demonic as the scoreboard suggested, a combination of accurate bowling and lack of application by most batters resulted in a strong possibility of a two-day finish.
So lopsided was the contest in favour of the spinners that three pacers, combined from both teams, bowled only 11 of the 94.2 overs that were witnessed on the day. Jaydev Unadkat, the Saurashtra captain, won a crucial toss, and Gohil’s star act with the willow – the lone fifty of the day – helped Saurashtra cross the 150-run mark. Gohil drove and cut the spinners with panache despite wickets tumbling at the other end.
Similarly, soon after Saurashtra folded after lunch, Punjab opener Prabhsimran Singh dominated veteran Ravindra Jadeja, who shared the new ball with Unadkat. Only after Dharmendrasinh and Bhut—the other two left-arm spinners— were employed, did Saurashtra begin controlling the game.
Bhut’s twin strikes in an over—Nehal Wadhera and Shubman Gill—tilted the balance in Saurashtra’s favour. And it remained so till Punjab brought parity to the scoreboard with three quick strikes towards the fag end of the day’s proceedings.
THE SCORES
Saurashtra – 1st innings: Harvik Desai c Harnoor b Harpreet 13, Chirag Jani c Anmolpreet b Sanvir 8, Jay Gohil c Dutta b Harpreet 82, Arpit Vasavada c Harpreet b Dutta 2, Ravindra Jadeja c Harpeet b Jassinder 7, Prerak Mankad lbw b Harpreet 32, Sammar Gajjar c Prabhsimran b Jassinder 0, Hetvik Kotak b Harpreet 12, Parth Bhut b Harpreet 0, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja lbw b Harpreet 5, Jaydev Unadkat (not out) 7; Extras (lb-4): 4; Total (in 47.1 overs): 172.
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-34, 3-41, 4-66, 5-123, 6-136, 7-153, 8-153, 9-165.
Punjab bowling: Bhagat 3-1-17-0, Sanvir 4-2-10-1, Harpreet 18.1-6-38-6, Dutta 11-2-32-1, Jassinder 11-1-71-2.
Punjab – 1st innings: Harnoor Singh c Harvik b Unadkat 0, Prabhsimran Singh lbw b Dharmendrasinh 44, Uday Saharan c Kotak b Dharmendrasinh 23, Nehal Wadhera c Vasavada b Bhut 6, Shubman Gill lbw b Bhut 0, Anmolpreet Singh c & b Bhut 35, Prerit Dutta lbw b Bhut 11, Sanvir Singh b Jadeja 1, Krish Bhagat c & b Bhut 3, Harpreet Brar lbw b Jadeja 12, Jassinder Singh (not out) 4; Total (in 40.1 overs): 139.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-50, 3-73, 4-73, 5-73, 6-119, 7-120, 8-120, 9-135.
Saurashtra bowling: Unadkat 4-1-22-1, Jadeja 12.1-2-48-2, Dharmendrasinh 12-2-36-2, Bhut 12-2-33-5.
Saurashtra – 2nd innings: Harvik Desai c Anmolpreet b Harpreet 6, Chirag Jani c Harnoor b Harpreet 5, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (batting) 5, Jay Gohil b Jassinder 8; Total (for three wkts. in 6 overs): 24.
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-15, 3-24.
Punjab bowling: Harpreet 3-2-6-2, Dutta 2-0-9-0, Jassinder 1-0-9-1.
Toss: Saurashtra.
Published on Jan 22, 2026
