Chandigarh routs Delhi by nine wickets, makes it three wins in a row

Chandigarh's resounding win over Delhi in the Ranji Trophy strengthens its grip atop the standings in Group D.

At 11.50 a.m. on Saturday, Manan Vohra and Shivam Bhambri raised their bats in the direction of the dressing rooms and screamed in delight. As their shouts of ‘common, common’ reverberated around the GMSSS ground in Sector 26 here, there was no mistaking how much this moment meant to Chandigarh — a resounding win over Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, its third in a row, has strengthened its grip atop the standings in Group D with 19 points in four matches and taken it closer to a quarterfinal berth for the first time in its five-year existence.

For context, this was a team that had just survived relegation to the Plate division after finishing with six points, two more than bottom-placed Goa, in Group C last season.

Resuming the fourth day on 46 for no loss, with another 157 runs to get, Chandigarh was the clear favourite to emerge on top. But by hurtling to the target of 203 at a run rate of 5.06 with nine wickets in hand, the host made the chase look far more straightforward than it should have been on a turning pitch.

Bhambri was the star with the bat, notching up a century in the final stages of the game with a six over mid-on off Hrithik Shokeen. He had also made 80 in the first innings, and pipped left-arm spinner Nishunk Birla, who took 12 wickets in the game, for the Player of the Match Award.

Vohra’s presence at the end was also fitting. The 31-year-old has been the captain from Chandigarh’s inaugural 2019-20 season when it was added to the domestic fold by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“As a team, in the last five years, we have gone through very tough times to be honest,” Vohra told The Hindu.

“We have always been struggling and saving ourselves from relegation. Now, we won the last two games and then to beat Delhi, the aggression, and everything that was inside for the last five years, is coming out after victory.“