Ranji Trophy Round-Up: KL Rahul's Unbeaten Fifty Hands Karnataka Edge Against Mumbai
India batter KL Rahul hit a fine half-century to hand Karnataka a slight edge over Mumbai at stumps on the third day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal in Mumbai on Sunday.
India batter KL Rahul hit a fine half-century to hand Karnataka a slight edge over Mumbai at stumps on the third day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal in Mumbai on Sunday. Chasing 325, Rahul was unbeaten on 60 off 94 balls with the help of seven boundaries and together with captain Devdutt Padikkal (39), shared 84 runs for the second wicket to help Karnataka end the day at 113 for two in 29 overs, needing another 212 runs to register an outright win. Karun Nair (9 not out) was at the crease alongside Rahul at the close of play.
Off-spinner Tanush Kotian (1/13) and skipper Shardul Thakur (1/24) picked up a wicket each for Mumbai.
Earlier, resuming their second innings at 189 for 2, wicket-keeper Akash Anand (70) added 17 runs to his overnight score while Musheer Khan made 49.
Towards the back end of the innings, Kotian scored an unbeaten 48, while Tushar Deshpande made 47 to help Mumbai post 377 all out in 98.3 overs, thereby setting a target of 325 runs before Karnataka.
Left-arm spinner Shikhar Shetty was the pick of the bowlers for Karnataka in Mumbai's second essay with figures of 3/45. He was ably supported by right-arm medium pacers Vidyadhar Patil (2/78) and Vidwath Kaverappa (2/78).
With eight wickets in hand and in-form Rahul and Nair at the crease, the target should not pose much problem for Karnataka, if not for a major batting collapse.
Sent into bowl, Karnataka bundled out Mumbai for 120 and then struggled to 173 to take the vital first innings lead.
For Mumbai, India opener Yashavi Jaiswal struggled in both the innings, scoring 5 and 36 respectively.
For Karnataka, Mayank Agarwal made 92 in the first innings with Rahul contributing 28.
Seasoned pacers Mohit Avasthi (4/27) and Deshpande (4/33) spearheaded a strong Mumbai comeback on the second day, picking up four wickets each.
Auqib Nabi strikes again as J&K close in on stunning Ranji Trophy win over MP
Auqib Nabi has once again proved to be the nemesis of Madhya Pradesh, as the Jammu & Kashmir pacer tore through the top order to leave the former champions in dire straits, with the odds heavily stacked against them on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal in Indore on Sunday.
After limping to 84 for 5 at Saturday's close, Jammu & Kashmir fought back to post 248 all out in their second innings, with Abid Mushtaq (41 off 73) and Vanshaj Sharma (54 not out off 92) playing crucial knocks to rescue the team from a difficult spot.
The duo's grit and enterprise propelled J&K to set the former Ranji Trophy champions a daunting target of 291.
By the close on Sunday, Madhya Pradesh's top order had crumbled to 87 for 5, with Auqib Nabi (3/23) once again tormenting the opposition after claiming seven wickets in the first innings.
It was complete submission by the 2021-22 Ranji champions Madhya Pradesh, with opening stalwart Yash Dubey, who has struggled this season, falling for 20, followed by partner Himanshu Mantri (31), as Auqib and left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq (2/19) ran through the top order.
With a daunting 204-run deficit, MP still have a long way to go, as Shubham Sharma (11 not out) and Venkatesh Iyer (7 not out) attempt to steady the innings.
But the day belonged to the lanky 29-year-old pacer Auqib Nabi, who had already caught attention off the field after being snapped up by Delhi Capitals for a multi-crore contract ahead of the upcoming IPL season.
Returning to the crease after a sensational 7/40 in the first innings that skittled MP for just 152, Auqib Nabi struck early by dismissing opener Yash Dubey, then delivered a crushing blow in the 27th over by removing skipper Rajat Patidar (8) and Kumar Kartikeya for a first-ball duck off successive deliveries, reducing MP to 76 for 5.
KL Rahul