Rajasthan 89. Haryana 82 for eight. Not a T20 contest but just a day-old Ranji Trophy semifinal on a lively pitch that tested the character and discipline of a batsman.
It was just the playing surface that separates good from the ordinary. To call the pitch anything else would be a travesty as bowlers prided in their vocation at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium here on Tuesday.
Haryana won the toss and exploited the conditions,courtesy Harshal Patel. His eight for 34 was better than his own eight for 40 against Karnataka in the preceding match last week.
Rajasthan hit back and the day ended on a delicate note with the home team clearly lamenting the chance missed to build on the brilliant platform that the 19-year-old Harshal had created.
“One has to rely on seam movement here (at Lahli),” said the unassuming Harshal.
He just pitched the ball up, moved it just that bit, accuracy behind his forte. The bounce was true but not one batsman showed the application needed to excel on such a pitch. There was not a dismissal that could be attributed to the vagaries of the pitch.
Edges flew and were held too as Harshal scythed through the Rajasthan top order. The batsman were embarrassed and humiliated by a youngster who knew his strength well. “The Lahli pitch slows down a little but I stuck to the basics,” he said. Only if the batsmen had remembered this lesson! continuereading
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