New Chandigarh, Oct. 21 -- For Harpreet Brar, the Ranji Trophy encounter against Chhattisgarh was about much more than a seven-wicket haul. It was an opportunity to demonstrate his growing mastery of red-ball bowling, reward years of patience and take another step towards his ultimate ambition of representing India.

The 31-year-old left-arm spinner delivered a sensational performance, claiming seven wickets for 56 runs in the first innings and adding two more in the second to finish with nine wickets in the match. And 7/56 turned out to be the best bowling figures in the six first-class encounters he has played.

His efforts helped Punjab defeat Chhattisgarh by seven wickets in their Elite Group B contest at New Chandigarh on Wednesday, ...