Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 10: J&K’s experienced skipper Paras Dogra played a crucial knock of 73* on a gripping third day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final match against Kerala at MCA Cricket Stadium Gahunje, Pune, putting his team in a strong position. Dogra’s patient and composed innings, which included 7 fours and a six off 148 balls, helped J&K reach 181/3 in their second innings, leading Kerala by 180 runs with seven wickets still in hand.
Earlier, Kerala, starting the day at 200/9, added 81 valuable runs for the last wicket between Salman Nizar (112*) and Basil Thampi (15), taking their first innings total to 281, gaining a slim 1-run lead over J&K. Nizar’s brilliant 112 off 172 balls, along with contributions from Jalaj Saxena (67), Nidheesh MD (32), and Akshay Chandran (29), was the backbone of Kerala’s fightback.
J&K’s bowlers were outstanding, with speedster Auqib Nabi taking 6 wickets for 53 runs, solidifying his place as the leading fast bowler in the country with 44 wickets this season. Yudhvir Singh and Sahil Lotra also made valuable contributions, claiming 2 wickets each.
In J&K’s first innings, Kanhaiya Wadhawan’s 48, Nasir Lone’s 44 and lower-order contributions guided the team to 280 runs. Despite early setbacks, including the failure of Shubham Khajuria, the team’s resilience was evident. Nidheesh MD was Kerala’s best bowler, picking up 6 wickets for 75 runs.
With two days of play remaining, the match stands almost evenly poised, but J&K has a slight advantage, with the score currently 60-40 in their favour.
The team will look to extend their lead and capitalize on the momentum built by their captain’s steady knock.
Brief Scores
J&K: 280 and 180/3 in 57 overs (Paras Dogra batting 73, Kanhaiya Wadhawan batting 42; MD Nidheesh 2/45).
Kerala 1st innings: 281 all out in 85 overs (Salman Nizar 112, Jalaj Saxena 67; Auqib Nabi 6/53).
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