Although hitting the winning runs for Gujarat in the Ranji Trophy final brought Chirag Gandhi into the spotlight, his maiden first-class ton against Rest of India in the Irani Cup showcased his batting and temperament in the longest format of the game.
Coming in to bat at 82 for four, Gandhi held the innings together and took the team to stumps with an unbeaten 136-run knock. Reflecting on the knock, the middle-order batsman said, “My mind was blank (when I came in to bat). I wasn’t thinking too much. I wanted to enjoy batting today because it was the last multi-day game (of the season). I wanted to play as freely as I could. Winning the Ranji Trophy was a goal that we have achieved and today there was no pressure. I just played my game and runs kept coming and didn’t realise when I reached the 100-run mark.”
But wasn’t there pressure since the team had lost four wickets early? The batsman matter-of-factly stated, “Since I bat with the lower order it is always like that. In the league stage too I have scored runs with the lower-order and the tail-enders. In the quarter-final (Ranji trophy against Odisha) there was a stage when we were 71 for six and I had scored 81 (to lift the team). Against Jharkhand in the second innings too, I stitched a stand with Juneja off 80 odd runs to set the opposition a target.
“I have learnt to adapt to such situations since the last year (2015-16 season). In the Deodhar Trophy back then we were in similar situations. Although we had lost then, now I am learning to play according to the situation and finish the game.”
Coming to the crease Gandhi toiled to get the measure of the situation and then attacked with gusto. “My game is attacking, but earlier in the innings I was trying to get my eye in getting used to the pace and bounce of the wicket,” he said while discussing his knock.
Speaking about his partnership with Juneja where the duo kept the scoreboard ticking, he said, “You have to rotate the strike. If you do that then the bowler too get disturbed. And Manprit and I run well between the wickets because we play a lot of matches together and have built a lot of partnerships. Our co-ordination is really good.”
The pair hit some good shots of the back foot. Speaking of which, he said, “When there is bounce on the wicket and ball is coming on to the bat. then you have a lot of options to play a stroke and like here in Mumbai where there is red soil, there is bounce in the wicket then you prefer to play most shots on the back foot.”
Speaking about being in and out of the team himself, he said, “Last year when Venugopal Rao, who was a professional wasn’t played in the one-days, that was the time when I came to know (understand) how to play. That was when I got a lot of innings (which helped) to understand the game and my role. Parthiv Patel, RP Singh and all of them keep talking about how to play.”
The youngster had also spoken to one of the best finisher’s in the cricket world, MS Dhoni during the semi-final against Jharkhand. Recalling the former India captain’s advise, he said, “I had asked Mahi bhai about the role of a finisher as well and he had explained that it is about calculating how to finish the game in the shorter formats. Which bowlers to target. I am trying to develop the game accordingly. However, in longest format of the game you have to be patient,” he added.
Remembering the Ranji Trophy triumph, he said, “This is what will be shown on TV whenever the topic arises (Gujarat’s win). That feels good. We had to beat Mumbai no matter what.” Like that one moment is carved in history, his maiden century too has the potential to be another moment of similar magnitude.
