Ranji Trophy: Navdeep Saini's fiery spell in vain as Ajay Mandal saves Chhattisgarh from defeat

Raipur: Delhi pacer Navdeep Saini (3-36) delivered a fiery spell on the final day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D clash against Chhattisgarh at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium here on Monday but a patient knock from Ajay Mandal (57 not out off 94 balls) ensured the match ended in a draw, with Delhi taking home three points by virtue of their first-innings lead.

Resuming on 33 without loss, Chhattisgarh found themselves under early pressure as Saini struck swiftly. Ayush Pandey, who had previously taken Saini apart with 22 runs off a single over in the first innings, tried to reignite the duel by flicking him to deep mid-wicket. But Saini hit back immediately, trapping Pandey with a yorker before bowling him out with a sharp delivery that forced an inside edge onto the stumps.

Pandey's dismissal brought Ashutosh Singh to the crease alongside opener Eknath Kerkar, but Saini was relentless. He claimed a simple caught-and-bowled chance off Kerkar, and six balls later, top-scorer Sanjeet Desai from the first innings nicked one to wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat off Himanshu Chouhan. With Chhattisgarh reeling, Delhi smelled blood.

Before lunch, the situation worsened for the hosts as off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen removed Ashutosh Singh and Shashank Singh in quick succession, leaving Chhattisgarh in a precarious position. At 79 for five, a collapse seemed imminent.

However, Ajay Mandal stepped up to rescue his side. He built a crucial 38-run partnership with skipper Amandeep Khare, facing 107 balls and countering Delhi's aggressive bowling with calm precision. Despite Saini’s threatening return spell, which tested Mandal and Khare with length variations and close calls, Mandal held firm.

After Khare eventually fell lbw to Saini, Delhi looked poised for a late push for victory, but Mandal had other ideas. Inspired by his teammate Pandey’s earlier aggressive play, Mandal counter-attacked, smashing four boundaries in a single over from Harsh Tyagi. The left-hander swept twice towards a deep square leg, followed by a reverse sweep and a late cut, showcasing his skill against spin.

Delhi skipper Himmat Singh brought himself into the attack for one last attempt at a breakthrough, but Mandal wasn’t fazed. He launched Himmat for a six down the ground, taking full control of the situation. Soon after, Mandal brought up his second fifty of the match, guiding Chhattisgarh to 179 for six when both teams decided to call it a day.

The match ended in a hard-fought draw, with Delhi claiming three points and Chhattisgarh settling for one.

Brief scores:

Chattisgarh 343 & 179/6 in 60 overs (Ajay Mandal 57 not out, Aayush Pandey 33; Navdeep Saini 3-36, Hrithik Shokeen 2-35) drew against Delhi 357 all out in 116.2 (Jonty Sidhu 103 not out, Himmat Singh 65; Ashish Chouhan 3-54, Shubham Agarwal 2-55).