Harshal Patel's game-changing spell with the old ball proved decisive as Haryana emerged champions in the Vijay Hazare Trophy defeating Rajasthan by 30 runs in the final at Rajkot on Saturday. It is their maiden Vijay Hazare trophy title.
After hitting 287/8 in 50 overs, Rajasthan was cruising at 201 for 4, and opener Abhijeet Tomar (106 off 129 balls) and captain Kunal Singh Rathore (79 off 65 balls) were steadily moving the team closer to the goal.
But in a game-changing spell, Harshal (3/47 in 9 overs) proved his mettle by altering the pace of his deliveries. In that spell, he gave away just 16 runs and removed both set batters to snuff out any hope Rajasthan had. In 48 overs, they were eventually bowled out for 257.
Credit must also be given to Haryana skipper Ashok Menaria, who had a good game with the bat and then marshalled his resources well, including bringing in Harshal, which turned out to be master-stroke.
Deepak Hooda fails to impress in the final
After scoring 180 against Karnataka, a lot was expected from Deepak Hooda in the final but he was dismissed on a golden duck which dented the hopes of Rajasthan immensly.
Chasing 288, Rajasthan got off to a poor start. Seamer Sumit Kumar was excellent with the new ball as he reduced them to 12/3 in the sixth over. Karan Lamba then joined Abhijeet Tomar and the duo weathered the early storm. But Rahul Tewatia (2/50) broke the 68-run stand by castling Lamba.
Tomar (106) and Kunal Singh Rathore joined hands and stitched a century partnership for the fifth wicket. Once Harshal Patel (3/47) broke the stand, they needed 88 runs off the last 13 overs but Haryana bowlers stuck to their task to secure the victory.