To win the Ranji Trophy after trailing by 151 on the first innings, as
Baroda did, is a remarkable accomplishment. In a game that underwent
several intricate twists and turns, two telling bursts from Zaheer Khan on
the fifth morning swung the Ranji Trophy final Baroda's way, allowing the
hosts to savour their maiden title triumph in 43 years. After a rather
ordinary showing through the first four days, the 23-year-old left arm
quick raised his game to deliver the killer punch at the climax.
Zaheer's commitments with the national team curtailed his participation in
the Ranji Trophy to just two games in the West Zone league. Although Baroda
won three knockout games without his services, Zaheer's return for the
final was expected to hand Baroda a decisive edge against a tenacious
opponent. But Zaheer began in erratic fashion, spraying the ball all over
the place in the first innings as Baroda strove to peg back their opponents
after being rolled over for 243 on the opening day. He did scalp three
wickets but a stubborn century stand for the ninth wicket between Murali
Kartik and Kulamani Parida gave Railways a seemingly unassailable lead.
A gallant fightback by Baroda's batsmen, spearheaded by opener Satyajit
Parab, squeezed out a final target of 223. The spin duo of Buch and Bhoite
extracted four wickets by stumps on the penultimate day to pave the way for
a tense climax. Opening the proceedings on the fifth day, Zaheer settled
onto a nagging off stump line to harry the batsmen. The absence of fellow
new ball operator Rakesh Patel through a knee injury inflicted an
additional workload on Zaheer and he responded magnificently. Yere Goud,
the highest run getter in the Ranji Trophy this season was hustled out
quickly as was Shreyas Khanolkar. But Railways simply refused to roll over
and die. The visitors inched their way closer through an obstinate 83 run
association for the seventh wicket. Recalled by skipper Jacob Martin in a
last throw of the dice, Zaheer scythed through the tail in a hostile burst
to wrap up the game by 21 runs.
An irony that it took an import from Srirampur in Maharashtra to provide
the breakthrough for Baroda. But then Zaheer was merely walking in the
footsteps of a legendary predecessor. Baroda's most famous cricketing son
Vijay Hazare, who was the kingpin of the team's four previous triumphs,
himself hailed from Sangli in Maharashtra.