Ranji Trophy: Varun Khanna takes 8 wickets as Punjab notch bonus-point win

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Mohali, Oct 4: Left-arm spinner Varun Khanna registered his best first-class bowling figures to guide Punjab to an emphatic innings victory over Railways in their opening Group B Ranji Trophy cricket match, here today.

Following on, Railways' second innings folded for 282 runs in 68 overs with Varun (8/97) scalping as many as eight wickets of the visitors. Being enforced follow-on, Railways ended at 125 for five last evening with 283 runs still needed to save the innings defeat.

But Railways failed to make Punjab bat again as they fell one run short with Varun, who took all five wickets in the visitors' second innings yesterday, doing bulk of the damage.

Arindam Ghosh waged a lone battle for Railways with an unbeaten 98 as wickets kept tumbling from the other end. Besides Varun, Maninder Singh (1/69) and Yuvraj Singh (1/17) were the other wicket takers for Punjab today.

Earlier, Punjab declared their first innings after posting a mammoth 604 for five. Gurkeerat Singh made an unbeaten 201, while wicketkeeper Gitansh Khera (102 not out), Uday Kaul (112) and Mandeep Singh (109 also posting centuries in Punjab's first innings.

By virtue of this win, Punjab pocketed seven points, including one bonus point from the match while Raiways returned empty-handed.

Brief scores: Punjab 604/5 declared in 171.1 overs beat Railways: 196 & (following on) 282 all out in 68 overs (Arindam Ghosh 98 not out; Varun Khanna 8/97). Punjab: 7 points, Railways: 0.

PTI