Cheteshwar Pujara determined to win Ranji Trophy after cheater taunts in Bengaluru
HIGHLIGHTS
- Cheteshwar Pujara scored an unbeaten 131 as Saurashtra chased down a 279-run target against Karnataka
- Pujara and Sheldon Jackson stitched a match-winning 214-run stand after Saurashtra were reeling at 23/3
- Saurashtra will face defending champions Vidarbha in the final of Ranji Trophy 2018-19 in Nagpur from February 3
India's marathon man Cheteshwar Pujara is confident that Saurashtra will be able to put up a good fight in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 final, starting February 3 in Nagpur against defending champions Vidarbha.
Cheteshwar Pujara hit an unbeaten 131 as Saurashtra edged past Karnataka by 5 wickets in the hard-fought semi-final on Monday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The in-form India batsman stitched a 214-run stand with fellow centurion, Sheldon Jackson as Saurashtra gunned down a 279-run target.
Saurashtra have reached their . They were beaten in the 2012-13 and 2015-16 final by the powerhouses of Indian domestic cricket, Mumbai.
"All of us are excited. Winning the Ranji Trophy title is something that all of us are looking forward to. We were in the final twice, this time we have a good opportunity to win the final. We have a good team. Hopefully, we will continue the good performance and not worry too much about the final and play our normal games," Pujara said.
Saurashtra were reeling at 23 for 3 on Day 4 of the semi-final but Pujara and Jackson ground down the Karnataka bowling attack who were persistent till the final ball of the chase. Pujara batted 266 balls and spent 10 hours at the middle and remained unbeaten as he helped Saurashtra cross the finish line.
There were a couple of umpiring errors that handed reprieves to Pujara but the Saurashtra mainstay was composed and got the job done for his team. Pujara was booed by the Benglauru crowd on Saturday and a section of the crowd even shouted "cheater, cheater".
Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson had joined forces in the quarter-final against Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow even as Saurashtra chased down a Ranji Trophy record of 372 runs. The two batsmen had added an unbeaten 136-run stand after opener Harvik Desai scored a century.
Speaking about the marathon stand in Bengaluru, Pujara said: "I think we believed in ourselves. Partnership was crucial. We were under pressure when we were at 23/3. We thought a good partnership is needed. Looking at the first innings... I thought that once the ball gets old, it's easier to bat."
Talking about Saurashtra's love for batting last in the ongoing competition: "We'll have a look at the pitch and then decide. Yeah, we are doing well with the bat in the fourth innings. Our openers are also doing well. Little disappointed with the way we batted in the first innings. Credit goes to our bowlers... the way they bowled in the second innings kept us in the game."
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