Punjab Bowlers Restrict Chandigarh to 173 on Day 1 at Ranji Match

By 121 News

Chandigarh, Nov.08, 2025:- Punjab dominated the opening day's proceedings in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group match against hosts Chandigarh at the Cricket Stadium, Sector 16 on Saturday by reducing the home side to a modest 173 in their first innings. At stumps, Punjab were comfortably placed at 71/3  and trailing by just  102 runs with seven wickets in hand.

Winning the toss and opting to field first on a lively surface, Punjab's bowlers maintained disciplined lines and lengths to keep the UT batters in check throughout the innings. The new-ball pair made top order struggle as local lads collapsed quickly to 28 for 3 within the first six overs.

Off-spinner Ayush Goyal was the destroyer who returned with impressive figures of 4 for 50 in 15 overs. Goyal's scalps included key wickets of openers Shivam Bhambri (4), Arjun Azad (13) and skipper Manan Vohra (0) followed later by Vishu (13) to leave Chandigarh struggling at 110 for 5.

Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Nikhil Thakur played a composed knock of 63 off 105 balls with nine fours, holding the innings together in the middle of regular fall of wickets. He stitched a valuable 56-run partnership with Vishu for the fifth wicket, the highest stand of the innings. However, once Thakur fell to Abhinav Sharma, the lower order offered little resistance.

All-rounder Gaurav Puri provided a late flourish with a quickfire 40 off 34 balls including four boundaries and two sixes but Punjab's left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar cleaned up the tail, ending with 3 for 29 in 8 overs. Puri's dismissal at 172 virtually ended Chandigarh's fightback as the side was bowled out for 173 in 51 overs.

For Punjab, the chase began on a cautious note. Opener Jaskaranvir Singh Paul (4) fell early to Jagjit Singh Sandhu while Harnoor Singh (29) and captain Uday Saharan (31) steadied the innings with a solid 49-run stand for the second wicket. However, two quick wickets from Vishu (2/5) tilted the balance back in Chandigarh's favor. Punjab closed the day at 71 for 3, with Jashanpreet Singh (5) and Ayush Goyal (2) at the crease.