The Rise of J&k Against Mumbai Shock The Group Stage of Ranji Trophy
CricketPanditJammu and Kashmir achieved a remarkable victory over Mumbai in just three days, securing the top spot in their group despite Shardul Thakur’s impressive performance on Friday. After an incredible partnership between Shardul and Tanush Kotian, Mumbai could only add 16 runs on the third morning before J&K quickly wrapped up the innings. This left them with a target of 205, which was still a challenging chase. However, J&K’s top order provided a strong foundation, particularly with a second-wicket partnership that contributed 75 runs.
Mumbai had a glimmer of hope when Shams Mulani took three wickets, reducing J&K to 159/5, but Abid Mushtaq and Kanhaiya Wadhawan ensured a smooth finish, guiding their team to victory. A draw in their final group stage match would secure J&K’s place in the quarterfinals.
Gujarat vs Uttarakhand
As anticipated, Gujarat secured an easy win over Uttarakhand on the third day after the visitors were bowled out for 254. Having already been reduced to 74/4 by the end of play yesterday, Uttarakhand crumbled despite Shashwat Dangal’s valiant century. Siddharth Desai, who took nine wickets in the first innings, added three more to his tally as his team completed the innings victory.
Karnataka vs Punjab
Shubman Gill returned to form with a determined century on the third day, but he received little support from his teammates as Punjab suffered a heavy defeat by an innings and 207 runs against Karnataka. Facing a daunting 420-run deficit after the first innings, Punjab had already lost two wickets before the end of the second day. Gill scored 102 off 171 balls, but Karnataka continued to take wickets, ultimately bowling Punjab out for 213.
Haryana vs Bengal
Anshul Kamboj and Anuj Thakral combined to take eight wickets as Haryana defeated Bengal by a massive 284 runs. After turning the game around yesterday, Haryana built their lead to set a target of 370 for their opponents. Bengal showed little resistance in their chase, quickly collapsing to 29/5. It was clear from that point that the visitors were in trouble, ultimately getting bowled out for a mere 85 runs.
Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh
In the match between Tamil Nadu and Chandigarh, Vijay Shankar played a remarkable innings, scoring an unbeaten 150 under pressure, making Tamil Nadu strong favorites to win on the final day in Salem. Tamil Nadu faced early trouble, losing two quick wickets, but Shankar’s explosive batting, which included five sixes in his 171-ball innings, helped the team declare at 305/5, setting Chandigarh a challenging target of 403. While Manan Vohra held his ground, Sai Kishore and Ajith Ram took crucial wickets, leaving Chandigarh at 113/5 by the end of the day. They still need 290 runs to win with only five wickets remaining.
Maharashtra AND Baroda
Maharashtra was determined to accumulate runs, scoring 341 on the day to frustrate Baroda and ending the day with a massive lead of 616 runs. Ruturaj Gaikwad narrowly missed a century, getting out for 89 off just 83 balls. However, Maharashtra made a strong recovery from 190/5, thanks to a 180-run partnership for the 7th wicket between Saurabh Nawale and Ramakrishna Ghosh. Ghosh fell just short of his century, finishing with 99, while Nawale remained unbeaten on 126.
Madhya Pradesh maintained their advantage over Kerala after another strong day of play. Starting with a lead of 133, MP kept building on their score. Rajat Patidar, who was in excellent form, fell short of a century, getting out for 92. Venkatesh Iyer then came in at No. 8 and unleashed a barrage on the Kerala bowlers, smashing six sixes in his unbeaten 80 off just 70 balls. MP eventually declared at 369/8, setting a target of 363 for Kerala. The home team lost one wicket before the end of the day and will need to chase down 335 runs on the final day to secure a victory.
Rajasthan and Vidarbha
In the match between Rajasthan and Vidarbha, the fortunes shifted dramatically by the end of the third day as Vidarbha mounted a remarkable comeback with the bat. After losing their top four batsmen for just 81 runs, things looked grim with Rajasthan still in the lead. However, Yash Rathod spearheaded the recovery with a patient 98, and captain Akshay Wadkar took control with a brilliant unbeaten century. Nachiket Bhute also contributed with an unbeaten half-century, and their 119-run partnership for the 8th wicket gave Vidarbha a lead of 258 runs by the close of play.
