Visitors trail by 270 runs after repair job by lower middle-order on penultimate day
Goa bowlers made steady progress but were left frustrated by a 148-run unbeaten sixth-wicket stand on Day 3.
BRIEF SCORES: Goa, 1st innings: 618-7 decl in 160 overs (Suyash Prabhudessai 197, Deepraj Gaonkar 115*; Jagjit Singh 2-79) vs Chandigarh, 1st innings: 348-5 in 108 overs (Kunal Mahajan 109*, Raj Bawa 64*, Arslan Khan 84; Mohit Redkar 2-87)
PANAJI
Much like the earlier six sessions, the opening session on the penultimate day had Goa hold the upper hand, until a late middle-order resistance saw Chandigarh showcase application, temperament and skill to keep the home side at bay in a second round Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash at the GCA Academy ground in Porvorim on Sunday.
Resuming from an overnight 73-1, and faced with an uphill task, Chandigarh suffered an early jolt with night-watchman Arpit Pannu trapped in front on 12 off the lanky left-arm medium fast Arjun Tendulkar. Reduced to 85-2 in the 24th over, the visitors' captain Manan Vohra strode out to bat and looked to play with intent. Vohra's flourish contributed 25 runs off 30 deliveries, laced with six hits to the ropes. He was the third batsman to depart on 127, nicking one behind off right-arm offbreak Mohit Redkar.
Meanwhile, the other overnight batsman and opener, Arslan Khan continued to bat in the positive vein and added another 43 runs to his overnight score. He struck an attacking 84 (101b, 13x4) until right-arm medium Lakshay Garg had him leg-before as Chandigarh slipped to 163-4 in the 39th over.
Chandigarh went to lunch at 198-4 in 55 overs with middle-order batsmen, Kunal Mahajan on 32 (76b, 6x4) and Gaurav Puri on 20 (47b, 4x4) serviced with the repair job. But their task was to be undone shortly after lunch, with Goa captain and all-rounder Darshan Misal providing the important breakthrough as Puri, on 21 (49b, 4x4), feathered one to first slip to be taken by Suyash. Chandigarh had by now lost half their side with only 200 on board and required a herculean effort to avoid capitulation.
It is said that in situations of strife those who emerge with their heads held high are special. And this could hold true of former U-19 World Cupper Raj Bawa, whose presence at the wicket was becalming and complemented a well-set Mahajan to the tee. The Mahajan-Bawa combine saw their side to tea with no further loss at 289-5 in 86 overs with Mahajan on a well-set 80 (158b, 12x4) and the 21-year-old Bawa on a patient 35 (102b, 5x4).
Upon resumption, the pair continued to bat with class and temperament on showcase, as the home side tried every trick up their sleeve to end the partnership but to no avail. Part-timer Rahul Tripathi was called upon and he teased the batsmen with the odd delivery, but Mahajan and Bawa had collared up to a salvage mission.
In the face of adversity, and with their skill and temperament on display, Mahajan and Bawa went to stumps unseparated with a partnership of 148 runs for the sixth wicket. Mahajan was batting on 109 (222b, 15x4), his second Ranji ton in his eleventh match at the level, while young all-rounder Bawa registered his maiden half-century in his nascent First Class career.
