Arpit Vasavada, who struck a crucial hundred in the Ranji Trophy final in the company of childhood friend Cheteshwar Pujara on Tuesday, says he was determined to bat time with the Indian batting mainstay, a plan that worked out very well for Saurashtra. Both Vasavada (106 off 287) and Pujara (66 off 237) batted for five hours on Day Two for their 142-run stand off 380 balls, succeeding in their plan to wear down the Bengal attack.

Pujara overcame illness to make a valuable contribution while Vasavada, who is coached by the former's father Arvind, could not have asked for a bigger stage to score a back-to-back hundred. "We have been playing together for long. It was in my mind that because of Pujara's health, he will bat after me and I knew he would be there [in the middle]. So, for me, it was about not getting tired but to keep playing with him," said Vasavada.