PANAJI
The second day all but belonged to Goa with every batsman coming to the wicket giving a good account of himself under placid conditions in their second round Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash against Chandigarh, at the Academy ground, in Porvorim, on Saturday.
As the day wore on, the visitors from the North felt the heat with their attack beginning to fall apart and their catching and ground fielding cutting a sorry picture too.
The newly designated opener Suyash Prabhudessai's masterly 197, and an attacking 127-run seventh-wicket stand between Deepraj Gaonkar (115*) and Arjun Tendulkar (70) helped Goa pile an imposing 618-7 in their first essay before declaration. In reply, Chandigarh were left with an uphill task having already lost a wicket with 73 runs on board in their first innings, still 545 runs in arrears.
Resuming from an overnight 267-3, 26-year-old Suyash Prabhudessai looked well on course to a second double hundred in his 28th Ranji match. Overnight batsman, Rahul Tripathi was first to depart on 40 when he nicked one behind to Mayank Sidhu to give right arm medium Jagjit Singh his second scalp. Goa had by then moved on to 313-4 as captain Darshan Misal strode to the crease. The Suyash-Misal alliance took their side to lunch at 390-4 in 124 overs with Suyash on a rock-solid 185 (337b, 16x4, 1x6) and Misal providing an able foil on 32 (54b, 5x4).
Their fifth-wicket association ended on 104 runs when a moment of hesitancy in the calling led to the captain Misal being run out for a well-made 46 (73b, 6x4). From 417-5 in the 132nd over, the home side lost Suyash for only another three runs added to the team score. Suyash priming himself for a well-deserved second double hundred, endeavoured at a glory shot on 197, but only to be gleefully pouched by Raj Bawa at deep midwicket off part-time offie, Kunal Mahajan on the last delivery of that over. Suyash's daddy hundred came off 364 deliveries and was studded with 18 boundaries and a maximum in the course of a 572-minute vigil at the wicket.
The misery on the Chandigarh attack was only to get severe as the lower-order batsmen; Deepraj Gaonkar and Arjun Tendulkar punched their authority with a swashbuckling 127-run seventh-wicket stand off only 126 deliveries. Arjun succumbed to a soft dismissal at first slip off Arslan Khan on 70 (60b, 6x4, 4x6) with Goa at a commanding 547-7 after 153 overs.
Goa eventually declared at 618-7 with Deepraj Gaonkar 115* (101b, 15x4, 4x6) registering his maiden Ranji hundred in only his sixth match, with Mohit Redkar providing company on 14.
In reply, Goa set to attack from word go but the wicket looked at ease as Chandigarh's left-handed opening batsmen, Arslan Khan and Harnoor Singh settled in. Goa had a chance at their first breakthrough when Arslan on 32 stepped out to Right arm Offbreak Mohit Redkar with Ishaan Gadekar at silly point failing to latch on to a regulation catch. Chandigarh's score then was 52-0, but it was not too long after when they lost their first wicket. Redkar had his reward when he trapped Harnoor Singh plumb in front on 23 (45b, 3x4) as the visitors were reduced to 62-1. Night-watchman, Arpit Pannu could have perished on 1 had Vijesh Prabhudessai not dropped a sitter at mid-on off Slow Left arm Orthodox Darshan Misal in the penultimate over of the day's proceedings.
Chandigarh went to stumps on day 2 at 73-1 in their first dig with Arslan Khan on 41 (52b, 7x4) and Arpit Pannu on 5 at the crease.
BRIEF SCORE: Goa, 1st innings. 618-7 decl in 160 overs (Suyash Prabhudessai 197, Deepraj Gaonkar 115*, K Siddharth 77, Arjun Tendulkar 70; Jagjit Singh 2-79) vs Chandigarh, 1st innings. 73-1 in 18 overs (Arslan Khan 41*)
