Ranji Trophy: Saransh Jain Guides Madhya Pradesh To Victory, Shahbaz Ahmed Shines In Bengal's Big Win

All-rounder Saransh Jain held one end together with a solid unbeaten 82 to help Madhya Pradesh beat Goa by three wickets after a tense run chase on the final day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match Tuesday. Madhya Pradesh, who had conceded a 97-run first innings lead, started the final day at 21 for 1 in pursuit of 328, and wickets fell at regular intervals. Arriving at 176 for 4, Jain anchored the MP run chase with some support from the lower order batters. His unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 65 with Arshad Khan (25) turned it around for the visitors.

Jain hit nine fours in his 132-ball unbeaten innings. Captain Shubham Sharma got 72 off 134 balls while Harsh Gawli contributed 54.

The other two matches of Group B -- Kerala vs Saurashtra, and Karnataka vs Maharashtra -- ended in draws.

In Pune, Karnataka took three points and Maharashtra one after the drawn match.

Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal struck 103 off 249 balls (8x4, 1x6) while Abhinav Manohar made 96 off 160 deliveries but there was no way a result could have been achieved in the match due to shortage of time.

Karnataka, who took a slender 13-run lead in the first innings, decided to shake hands with Maharashtra after reaching 310 for 8.

Maharashtra had made 300 in reply to Karnataka's 313 in the first innings.

The result leaves Karnataka on top of the Group B points table, while Maharashtra are third.

In Mangalapuram, hosts Kerala were 37 for 2 at lunch while chasing 330 for a win. They fought back to save themselves from a defeat, reaching 154 for 3. More importantly, they earned three points after a first-innings lead.

Earlier in the day, Saurashtra declared their innings at 402 for 8, built largely on Chirag Jani's 152 on the third day. They began the day at 351 for 5 and Prerak Mankad added just 10 runs from his overnight 52.

The star of the match, however, was the Kerala quick MD Nidheesh who snared 10 wickets.

Punjab had beaten Chandigarh by eight wickets on Monday.

Assam salvage draw against Tripura

Skipper Denish Das and senior batter Sibsankar Roy struck defiant centuries to help Assam salvage a draw against Tripura on the fourth and final day of their Ranji Trophy Group C match here on Tuesday.

Resuming on overnight 78 for 3 in their second innings and facing a huge deficit, Assam showed remarkable grit to bat through the day, ending at 367 for 7 when the teams agreed to call off play in the final session.

Captain Denish Das (103 off 197 balls) anchored the innings with a composed century, guiding Assam out of trouble after a shaky start.

He found solid support from wicketkeeper Sumit Ghadigaonkar (54 off 161) as the duo steadied the innings with a 150-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

After Denish's dismissal, Roy took charge, batting fluently for an unbeaten 101 off 141 balls, which was decorated with 17 fours and two sixes.

His counterattacking approach ensured Assam not only avoided an innings defeat but also batted Tripura out of the contest.

Lower down, Ayushman Malakar (21 not out) provided valuable resistance as the visitors stretched their lead past 100 before stumps were drawn.

For Tripura, Ajay Sarkar was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 for 70, while Swapnil Singh (2/88) and Rana Dutta (2/34) also chipped in with wickets but couldn't bowl out Assam as the pitch eased out.

Earlier, Tripura had taken complete control of the match after piling up a strong first-innings total to enforce the follow-on, but Assam's second-innings fightback ensured the honours were eventually shared.

Shahbaz shines with 7-for, Bengal thrash Railways 

In Surat, left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed produced a stunning seven-wicket haul as Bengal crushed Railways by an innings and 72 runs.

Resuming on 90 for 5, Railways were bundled out for 132 in 55.5 overs in their second innings, collapsing in the first session as Shahbaz ran riot with figures of 7 for 56 from 22.5 overs.

His relentless accuracy and sharp turn proved to be too much for the Railways middle and lower order.

Only Bhargav Merai (26 off 81 balls) and Upendra Yadav (21 off 63) showed some resistance, and once Shahbaz removed Merai and Yadav in quick succession, the end came swiftly.

Railways, forced to follow on after being bowled out cheaply in the first innings, had ended day three at 90 for 5, trailing by 114 runs. However, their hopes of taking the match into the final session evaporated as Bengal's bowlers maintained a stranglehold from the outset.

Right-arm pacer Rahul Prasad supported Shahbaz well with 2 for 41, while Mohammed Kaif chipped in with a wicket.

Brief Scores:

In Mangalapuram: Saurashtra: 160 and 402 for 8 declared (Chirag Jani 152, Arpit Vasavada 74, Prerak Mankad 62; Nedumankuzhy Basil 3/64, MD Nidheesh 4/83) drew with Kerala 233 and 154 for 3 in 63 overs.

In Pune: Karnataka 313 and 310 for 8 declared (Mayank Agarwal 103, Abhinav Manohar 96, Mukesh Choudhary 3/70) drew with Maharashtra 300.

In Porvorim: Goa: 284 and 230 all lost to Madhya Pradesh 187 and 328 for 7 in 94 overs (Saransh Jain 82 not out, Shubham Sharma 72, Harsh Gawli 54; Darshan Misal 2/57) by three wickets.

At Agaratala: Tripura: 602/7 declared Assam : 238 and 367 for 7 (Following on) in 117.4 overs (Denish Das 103, Sibsankar Roy 101 not out, Sumit Ghadigaonkar 54; Ajay Sarkar 3/70, Swapnil Singh 2/88, Rana Dutta 2/34).

At Surat: Bengal 1st innings: 474 Railways 222 & 132 in 55.5 overs (Bhargav Merai 26, Upendra Yadav 21; Shahbaz Ahmed 7/56, Rahul Prasad 2/41). 

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