We batted slow and that put us behind in the game: Deepak Punia

Saurashtra, the runners-up of the previous edition of the Ranji Trophy lost the round 2 game to Odisha by 32 runs in Hyderabad. After not losing a wicket in the first session on the final day, Saurashtra lost their last 5 wickets in space of 10 overs and conceded the game. Speaking about what went wrong for them, Saurashtra all-rounder Deepak Punia said, “Today, we batted slow and that put us behind in the game. I was looking to stay there till the end but committed a mistake.”

They added just 60 runs without losing a wicket in the first 40 overs on the final day without offering many strokes. Once the set batsmen got out, the newcomers struggled as they lost their final 5 wickets for just 23 runs.

Deepak Punia picked up 7 wickets in the game including his maiden first-class 5-fer in the 2nd innings. Talking to CricTracker, Punia said, “Yesterday, we were looking to restrict them to as small a total as possible. So we had to put full efforts. Our bowlers bowled really well. Jaydev got wickets, Chirag Bhai picked wickets. We all bowled in good areas with the wicket behaving well.”

Odisha, who batted first posted 226 on the board, turned out to be the highest score in the game as under-200 totals were recorded in the next 3 innings. Talking about the pitch he said, “Wicket wasn’t that tough to bat on. They batted very well. If it was red ball, it could have given more movement.”

Also read- Skipper Govinda Poddar is elated after Odisha beat Saurashtra in a close finish

Deepak made a switch from Services to Saurashtra in the 2015/16 season. He was picked up for a base price of Rs. 10 lakhs by Mumbai Indians in the IPL auctions this year. In addition to 7 wickets in this game, he scored crucial 18 runs in the first innings which included consecutive sixes. In the 2nd innings, he played a loose shot to get out cheaply which affected the team’s loss.

When asked about his ability to hit the long ball, the 23-year-old said, “It comes naturally to me. From the start, I am used to hitting big shots.”