<p>Saurashtra secured a place in the Ranji Trophy final for the fifth time in the history of the tournament, defeating Karnataka by four wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.</p>.<p>The 2019-20 edition champions scored the required 115 runs for victory on the fifth and final day of the semifinal match to set up a title showdown with Bengal. It will be a repeat of the 2019-20 summit clash, where Bengal had finished second best.</p>.<p>Saurashtra skipper Arpit Vasavada, following his match-altering double century in the first innings that helped the team to a mammoth 527, played another polished knock of unbeaten 47 just when the Karnataka bowlers had reduced the team to 42/5 in the second innings.</p>.<p>With Karnataka looking poised to defend a paltry 100-plus total on home turf and Krishnappa Gowtham (3/38) and Vasuki Koushik (3/32) on fire, the 34-year-old Vasavada remained calm under trying circumstances to guide his side to a hard-fought win in 34.2 overs.</p>.<p>Karnataka, whose first innings had folded up at 407 after which Saurashtra slammed 527 to take the crucial first-innings lead, started day five at 123/4 with their in-form batter Nikin Jose on 54.</p>.<p>The young batter, who came at the fall of Devdutt Padikkal in the final session on Saturday, shared a century partnership with captain Mayank Agarwal (55) and guided his team to 114.</p>.<p>But, thereafter, the 22-year-old couldn't find a partner who could stick around with him and put up a fighting total on the board.</p>.<p>Karnataka's second innings wound up at 234 in 58.2 overs, with some of their key batters like Ravikumar Samarth, Padikkal, Manish Pandey and Shreyas Gopal departing at single-digit scores.</p>.<p>India white-ball player Chetan Sakariya did the maximum damage with his left-arm medium-pace bowling, returning with figures of 4/49 in 11 overs, while Saurashtra's veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja kept rattling the home team batters to also return a four-wicket haul.</p>.<p>Saurashtra, however, made heavy weather of the paltry 115-run winning target, with the entire top and middle order being wiped out by Karnataka bowlers Gowtham and Koushik.</p>.<p>Finally, a 63-run partnership between captain Vasavada and Sakariya took the 2019-20 Ranji champions within sniffing distance of victory, before the latter departed at 24.</p>.<p>Vasavada and new batter Prerak Mankad (7 not out) ensured no more hiccups as Saurashtra set up a title clash with Bengal.</p>.<p>Vasavada was adjudged "Player of the Match" for his composed 202 off 406 balls in the first innings and a match-winning 51-ball 47 under trying circumstances in the second innings.</p>.<p><strong>Brief Scores:</strong></p>.<p>Karnataka 407 and 234 (Mayank Agarwal 55, Nikin Jose 109; Chetan Sakariya 4/45, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 4/79, Parth Bhut 2/57) lost to Saurashtra 527 and 117/6 in 34.2 overs (Arpit Vasavada 47; Krishnappa Gowtham 3/38, Vasuki Koushik 3/32) by four wickets.</p>
<p>Saurashtra secured a place in the Ranji Trophy final for the fifth time in the history of the tournament, defeating Karnataka by four wickets at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.</p>.<p>The 2019-20 edition champions scored the required 115 runs for victory on the fifth and final day of the semifinal match to set up a title showdown with Bengal. It will be a repeat of the 2019-20 summit clash, where Bengal had finished second best.</p>.<p>Saurashtra skipper Arpit Vasavada, following his match-altering double century in the first innings that helped the team to a mammoth 527, played another polished knock of unbeaten 47 just when the Karnataka bowlers had reduced the team to 42/5 in the second innings.</p>.<p>With Karnataka looking poised to defend a paltry 100-plus total on home turf and Krishnappa Gowtham (3/38) and Vasuki Koushik (3/32) on fire, the 34-year-old Vasavada remained calm under trying circumstances to guide his side to a hard-fought win in 34.2 overs.</p>.<p>Karnataka, whose first innings had folded up at 407 after which Saurashtra slammed 527 to take the crucial first-innings lead, started day five at 123/4 with their in-form batter Nikin Jose on 54.</p>.<p>The young batter, who came at the fall of Devdutt Padikkal in the final session on Saturday, shared a century partnership with captain Mayank Agarwal (55) and guided his team to 114.</p>.<p>But, thereafter, the 22-year-old couldn't find a partner who could stick around with him and put up a fighting total on the board.</p>.<p>Karnataka's second innings wound up at 234 in 58.2 overs, with some of their key batters like Ravikumar Samarth, Padikkal, Manish Pandey and Shreyas Gopal departing at single-digit scores.</p>.<p>India white-ball player Chetan Sakariya did the maximum damage with his left-arm medium-pace bowling, returning with figures of 4/49 in 11 overs, while Saurashtra's veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja kept rattling the home team batters to also return a four-wicket haul.</p>.<p>Saurashtra, however, made heavy weather of the paltry 115-run winning target, with the entire top and middle order being wiped out by Karnataka bowlers Gowtham and Koushik.</p>.<p>Finally, a 63-run partnership between captain Vasavada and Sakariya took the 2019-20 Ranji champions within sniffing distance of victory, before the latter departed at 24.</p>.<p>Vasavada and new batter Prerak Mankad (7 not out) ensured no more hiccups as Saurashtra set up a title clash with Bengal.</p>.<p>Vasavada was adjudged "Player of the Match" for his composed 202 off 406 balls in the first innings and a match-winning 51-ball 47 under trying circumstances in the second innings.</p>.<p><strong>Brief Scores:</strong></p>.<p>Karnataka 407 and 234 (Mayank Agarwal 55, Nikin Jose 109; Chetan Sakariya 4/45, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 4/79, Parth Bhut 2/57) lost to Saurashtra 527 and 117/6 in 34.2 overs (Arpit Vasavada 47; Krishnappa Gowtham 3/38, Vasuki Koushik 3/32) by four wickets.</p>