Patient Priyank Panchal beats Tamil Nadu in waiting game

I also told Priyank to be patient, play his natural game, be judicious in shot selection and play as long as possible.
Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal during his 117 against Tamil Nadu | D SAMPATHKUMAR
Gujarat’s Priyank Panchal during his 117 against Tamil Nadu | D SAMPATHKUMAR

CHENNAI: Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel during a chat with Express last season had said that one of the reasons for having Uttar Pradesh’s Piyush Chawla in their ranks was the leg-spinner’s experience and also the fact that many matches would be played in southern India. Chawla, who has been playing in the Chennai league for a long time, has turned out to be a good investment for Gujarat.

On Thursday, he not only broke the back of the Tamil Nadu batting order but also guided Priyank Panchal on how to play on a slow surface to help Gujarat beat the hosts by four wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

“The wicket was very very slow. So one had to use variations with good control to get purchase. I put my experience of playing here (Chennai) to effective use. I also told Priyank to be patient, play his natural game, be judicious in shot selection and play as long as possible. He (Priyank) did a brilliant job,’’ said Chawla after the match. Panchal was naturally on cloud nine after having given his team a good start in the tournament. The target may not have been too steep, but one had to apply himself to score runs.

“I am satisfied with my effort. The plan was to pace my innings steadily and not rush things as we knew we had restricted Tamil Nadu to a gettable total. I used the inputs given by my seniors (Chawla and Parthiv) and played the waiting game,’’ said the opener, who lost Parthiv early in the chase.

Did he change his technique or stance to counter the left-right pace combo of T Natarajan and K Vignesh?

“No. I played as I do normally. One thing I told myself was to play the ball on merit and be watchful, as the bounce could vary on this slow pitch.” Parthiv, too, praised his opening partner for a job well finished.

“It was a disciplined effort on a surface which was difficult to bat on. Concentration was the key and I am glad he (Panchal) carried on and stayed till the end,’’ said Parthiv. Tamil Nadu captain Vijay Shankar did not give excuses. He admitted that his team played poorly and gave credit to Panchal for Gujarat’s good show.

“We could have batted better as a team. Panchal batted well, but if you take away his innings and look at the picture, things could have different. We have to learn from our mistakes today and rectify them quickly," observed Vijay.

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