“Had to go for the big shot if the ball was in my arc”- Chetan Sakariya on his heroics with bat in Ranji Trophy semifinal
Chetan Sakariya had a brilliant Ranji Trophy season with Saurashtra, as he picked up 27 wickets in just nine games, helping his team win their second title in three years. However, the one contribution that will be remembered for a long time is his heroics with the bat in the semifinal against Karnataka.
Saurashtra took a huge first-innings lead of 120 runs after scoring 527 in their first innings and managed to bowl out Karnataka for just 234 in their second innings. With 115 runs to win, it seemed like Saurashtra would cruise to the total.
But that wasn't to be as Saurashtra were reeling at 42/5 in their chase. This was when Chetan Sakariya was promoted up the order and the move worked wonders. Sakariya scored a quickfire 24 and added 63 crucial runs for the sixth wicket with captain Arpit Vasavda.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Chetan Sakariya opened up on his thought process during that knock. He said:
"There was no pressure on me as such because my plan was simple. I had to go for the big shot if the ball was in my arc and thankfully I connected a couple of those quite well. Whenever I got an opportunity in the nets, I used to urge the coach to give me an extended batting session and I used to practice my shots. So that definitely helped me in that innings and helped me improve my game."
Sakariya also spoke about the masterminds of the decision to send him at No.7. He added:
"Promoting me (in the semifinal) was the decision of both the captain as well as the coach. The plan was always to send a pinch-hitter to break open the chase in case the opposition applied pressure with the ball and that's exactly what happened."
Saurashtra chase down 115 with 4 wickets in hand and qualify for the #RanjiTrophy final.
Excellent effort from Karnataka, specifically KG to challenge the batsmen - an unlikely counter-attacking knock from Chetan Sakariya that eventually dented the hosts' hopes.
#KARvSAU
"Once we sniff blood, we dominate the opposition"- Chetan Sakariya
Saurashtra, in that semifinal, were under tremendous pressure for the first two days. Karnataka opener Mayank Agarwal smashed a sensational double hundred to help get his team to 407 in the first innings. Chetan Sakariya praised the veteran opener for his incredible application in testing conditions.
However, the left-arm pacer also shed light on how Saurashtra always find a way to come back into the game and how all they need is a foot in the door. He stated:
"Mayank bhai played extraordinarily well as the ball was just doing enough and still he showed great application. As they were progressing towards a big score, we did start feeling as if the game was slipping away from us. But we also knew that if we withstand their new-ball burst and form crucial partnerships, we can make a comeback in the game. It is our specialty that once we sniff blood, we dominate the opposition."
Chetan Sakariya's exploits with the bat have proven that if groomed well, he can be a useful bowling all-rounder for Saurashtra as well as for India.