Stats: Chandigarh thumps Manipur by innings and 405 runs in the Ranji Trophy game

The 9th round game of Ranji Trophy 2019-20 between Manipur and Chandigarh marked to be the 60000th match in the first-class history but it will go down as one of the most one-sided contests in this format. Chandigarh, who batted first, were five down for just 136 shortly after the lunch break. Wicketkeeper Uday Kaul (148) rescued the innings as he shared a 221-run stand with Bipul Sharma for the 6th wicket.

The all-rounder went on to score exactly 200 after a 172-run partnership with Gurinder Singh. Gurinder smashed an unbeaten 171-ball 200 as Chandigarh declared at the score of 672/8. Manipur’s reply started with a couple of wickets as they were 42/2 before Gurinder starred with the ball. He claimed five wickets in the seven overs he bowled as Manipur were bundled out for just 63.

They, in fact, lost seven wickets for the cost of two runs as four wickets fell at the score of 44. Chandigarh thus took a 609-run first-innings lead which is now the 4th highest first-innings lead in Indian first-class cricket. The highest is 722 by Holkar team in the 1945/46 Ranji Trophy semi-final against Mysore. Holkar declared their innings at 912/8 and later bundled out Mysore to just 190.

Largest first innings lead in Indian first-class cricket:

Manipur’s batting collapses continued in the second innings as well despite a much better batting show by top-order. Opener Basir Rahman’s 123-ball 97 put Manipur at 177/3 before they lost their last seven wickets for 27. They bundled out for 204 and lost the game by an innings and 405 runs; the joint 6th biggest win in Ranji Trophy by innings. Assam registered the largest win by innings in the Ranji Trophy as they defeated Tripura by innings and 472 runs in the 1991/92 season.

Interestingly, Assam were also at the receiving end in such an instance. They lost to Bengal by innings and 413 runs against Bengal in 1951/52 season. They are the only team to win and lose by innings margin of 400+ runs in the history of the tournament. Assam broke a 44-year-old record of Bombay with their win against the Tripura. Earlier this season, Meghalaya recorded an innings and 425-run win over Mizoram also at the Videocon ground. It is the 3rd biggest innings win in the history of Ranji Trophy.

Largest margins of innings win in Ranji Trophy:

(Stats as on February 14, 2020)