GUWAHATI, Nov 10 - It was like a Diwali gift for the people of Assam from the Ranji team as they completed the formality and registered a six-wicket victory against fancied Haryana in their Group A Ranji Trophy match.
At the CH Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium, Lahli, Rohtak today, Assam reached the winning target of 160 without further damage. Yesterday Assam were 122 for four and the unbeaten overnight batsmen Amit Verma and skipper Gokul Sharma remained not out on 51 (184 minute, 115 balls, 4x5, 6x1) and 19 respectively. The pair added 49 runs for the fifth wicket and hit the winning run in 54.1 overs.
With this outright victory Assam gained six points and took the third spot with 16 points from five outings in the nine-team table behind Delhi (24 points from 6 matches) and Karnataka (21 points from 5 matches).
It was for the first time that both the teams met in any Ranji Trophy match and despite playing on the opponent�s home ground, that too on a pacer-friendly turf, Assam boys kept their temperament and registered a comfortable and deserving victory. Assam medium pacers Krishna Das, Arup Das and Dhiraj Goswami should be given the credit for this remarkable show as they shared all the 20 wickets among them.
Gokul, Amit Verma and debutant Rahul Hazarika were the batsmen who fought in an odd situations and contributed most useful runs and snatched the victory for Assam which has already stunned Karnataka and Rajasthan.
In the next match Assam will play against Gautam Gambhir- led table topper Delhi at the Barsapara stadium here from November 15.
SCORECARD
Haryana 1st innings 168
Assam 1st innings 120
Haryana 2nd innings 111
Assam 2nd innings (Overnight 122/4, target-160 runs): Pallav Das lbw b Hooda 11, Rahul Hazarika c Dewan b Hooda 24, Tarjinder Singh c S Rana b MM Sharma 0, Amit Verma not out 51, KB Arun Karthik st Dalal b Yadav 48, Gokul Sharma not out 19. Extras: (b 4, lb 1, w 1, nb 1) 7; Total (4 wickets; 54.1 overs) 160. Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-35, 3-35, 4-111. Bowling: HV Patel 15-2-33-0, AH Hooda 15-2-62-2, MM Sharma 13-4-28-1, S Rana 1-0-9-0, J Yadav 10-1-22-1, N Saini 0.1-0-1-0.
