After dominating the match for first three days at HEC International Cricket Stadium Complex Ranchi, Himachal Pradesh cricket team had to settle with three points as Jharkhand team batted successfully the whole day. Opener Akash Verma and Manish Vardhan frustrated Himachal bowlers for 71.6 overs and struck 195 first wicket run stand. Spin bowler Gurvinder Singh trapped Akash Verma in his spin but till then he has managed to score his maiden century, helping his team to avoid possible defeat.
Earlier, Himachal all-rounder Rishi Dhawan took 6 wickets for 63 and also scored 128 and helped team to give vital 206 runs lead in the first inning. Young Solan opener batsman Prashant Chopra also struck his first century in this match. He scored 101 in 210 balls and put important 154 first wicket stands with veteran Aakash Chopra. Himachal had declared its first inning at 442/7.
Yet again in this match, Himachal bowlers failed to wrest the win in its favor and its bowlers failed to take wickets on last day of the game. In its earlier matches too against Kerala and Services at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Stadium, Nadaun, team got vital first inning lead but could not convert them into win.
Final Score
Jharkhand (236, Saurabh Tiwary-102, Sunny Gupta-62, Rishi Dhawan-6/63 and 244/2nd inning– Akash Verma-117, Manish Vardhan-94, Gurvinder Singh-2/86)
Himachal Pradesh (442/7d, Prashant Chopra-101, Rishi Dhawan-128, Shiv Shankar Rao-3/86)
