Bist ton seals Himachal's place in semi-final

Robin Bist's unbeaten century to beat Punjab in Alur was a good primer of how to overcome top-order trouble as it led Himachal Pradesh to the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final. Two wickets lost inside the first six overs against a spirited pace attack, with the ball buzzing around both ways, was reason enough to create a few flutters for Himachal. Eventually, they got to the target of 264 with four balls to spare.

A chase that was meandering at 77 for 3 in the 22nd over was turned around admirably when Bist found an ally in Rishi Dhawan, who played risk-free cricket through tactful strike rotation. It would be the hallmark of their 102-run fourth-wicket stand that came at a run-a-ball to bring a chase headed nowhere into the realms of possibility.

Having the target within striking distance, however, brought a minor mishap. Dhawan mistimed a pull off Siddharth Kaul on 41 and Harbhajan Singh, running backwards from mid-on, held on to a pressure catch. Himachal needed 85 to win off 66 balls, and that was when Bist took over. Having been in accumulator mode early in his innings, he seamlessly brought out the big hitter in him to bring up a maiden List A century and puncture Punjab.

The effervescence of Nikhil Gangta, who made a 28-ball 39, further fuelled Himachal's dream run as victory was achieved with five wickets in hand in the final over. That not only meant a semi-final berth but also consigned Mandeep Singh's carefully crafted 119 to second best on the day.

Things had looked quite different when play started. Punjab lost Pargat Singh in the first over after being sent in on a slightly damp surface. But that was negated by Mandeep; his first boundary came off the seventh ball he faced - an on-the-up extra cover drive - and set the tone for a knock that featured the entire array of his strokes from point to square leg.

The unusually harsh mid-morning sun had people ducking for shade and Mandeep too was not spared. He couldn't hit over the top in front of the wicket, so he brought out the paddles and the delicate dabs to prove he was a multi-dimensional batsman. When he walked back for a 145-ball 119 in the final over, he had put Punjab in a commanding position. Such was his composure that even the loss of Yuvraj Singh (5) to a mistimed pull and Gurkeerat Singh (35) after a steady stand seemed to have no effect on him. He was helped later in the innings by Gitansh Khera (23) and Harbhajan Singh (25).

Himachal began like a team that wasn't sure how to approach the chase in a knockout game. Barinder Sran, the left-arm seamer, who is due to tour Australia in January, bowled a tight first spell of 4-1-11-0. While pace wasn't his forte, minute deviation off the surface and precision was. The rewards, however, were reaped by Kaul, the other new-ball bowler, who removed Ankush Bains and Prashant Chopra inside six overs. When Paras Dogra skipped down the track, only to bowled after being deceived by Harbhajan's slider, Himachal were in dire need of momentum at 77 for 3 in the 22nd over.

An asking rate that was hovering over seven moved to eight and beyond. Dhawan and Bist milked the bowling but took great care against the slow bowlers, who seemed the bigger threat. The strategy was a sound one and worked quite well until Dhawan's mistake in the 39th over. Though he couldn't convert his start into a half-century and beyond, his contribution in a vital stand to go along with his three wickets threw light on the kind of role he could possibly play in Australia.

Bist brought up his century in the 47th over, having overcome two close run-out calls. He took it to the last six balls and sealed the deal with some authority, lofting the ball over cover. So it was that Himachal Pradesh took down Punjab, a giant in the Indian domestic circuit, and go into their semi-final clash against Delhi with fresh energy and strong hopes.