MOHALI, NOV 24 : Overnight not out Gujarat batsmen Samit Gohel and Rujul Bhatt frustrated Punjab whom they denied an outright victory by slamming unbeaten centuries as the four-day Group A Ranji Trophy match fizzled out into a tame draw. Resuming at their overnight score of 33 for 3, Gujarat scored 224 for 3 in 101.5 overs in their second innings as Samit Gohel and Rujul Bhatt were associated in an unfinished fourth wicket partnership of 210 runs.
Samit Gohel, overnight 20, went on complete his century (102 not out) and Rujul Bhatt (overnight 4) piled up an unbeaten 100. Gohel faced 280 deliveries and reached fence ten times while Bhatt got his unbeaten century from 284 balls and hit 16 boundaries.
Yesterday at draw of stumps, Gujarat required to score 355 for victory, were precariously placed at 33 for 3 in 24.5 overs. They still needed 322 runs with seven wickets to avoid defeat.
It was a frustrating day for hosts Punjab. In their efforts to make any breakthrough today, Punjab tried as many as nine bowlers but all their efforts proved in vain.
Punjab wonby virtue of their first innings lead of 45 runs and got three points. Gujarat obtained one point.
Brief scores:
Punjab: (Ist innings) 172.
Gujarat: (Ist innings) 127.
Punjab (2nd innings): 309 (Jiwajot 51, Ravi Inder Singh 47, Taruwar Kohli 50, Mandeep Singh 46, Uday Kaul not out 52, Manpreet Gony 24, Jasprit Bumrah 3 for 63, Mehul Patel 3 for 79, Akshar Patel 2 for 58, Rakesh Dhruv 2 for 72).
Gujarat (2nd innings): 224 for 3 in 101.5 overs (Samit Gohel not out 102, 10x4s, Rujul Bhatt not out 100, 16x4s, Sandeep Sharma 2 for 43, Siddarth Kaul 1 for 54).