Ranji Trophy Spherical-up Day 4: CSK pacer takes 5 for Ruturaj Gaikwad & Kerala sans Sanju Samson frustrate MP

Phew! That was an action-packed sixth round of the Ranji Trophy that we witnessed. While the highlight of this fixture list would surely be Jammu and Kashmir’s humongous victory against defending champions Mumbai, other states cemented their foot as well. Kerala, without Sanju Samson, had a hard-fought draw against Madhya Pradesh—a clash that went till the last ball of the 12 sessions. Meanwhile, Maharashtra, under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad, gained a massive win of 439 runs against Krunal Pandya’s Baroda.

Gaikwad gets CSK pacer’s support

As the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy unfolded, Mukesh Choudhary, the talented pacer from Chennai Super Kings (CSK), delivered a fierce performance that proved pivotal for Maharashtra in their match against Baroda. Choudhary ripped through the Baroda batting order, claiming five wickets and restricting them to a mere 177 runs in their second innings. With Maharashtra having set a monumental target of 617, Choudhary’s brilliant bowling display guided his side to an astounding victory by an innings and 439 runs.

Gaikwad, who missed out on a 100 yesterday, declared Maharashtra’s innings at an overnight score of 464-7 d in 119 overs. This happened after Ramakrishna Ghosh was dismissed on an unfortunate 99. Quite interestingly, Krunal used all his ten players in the outfield to bowl! Yes, as many as 10 bowlers bowled, with experienced Luke Meriwala taking a 2-fer. Despite Atit Sheth scoring a fifty, the Baroda batting crumbled. Rajneesh Gurbani and Mukesh Choudhary took 8 wickets between them as Maharashtra win by 439.

Kerala eke out much-wanted draw vs MP

Meanwhile, Kerala, playing without their star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, did something remarkable. Kerala managed to salvage a draw against Madhya Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy clash, thanks to an outstanding rear-guard effort from Aditya Sarvate and wicketkeeper Muhammed Azharuddeen. Facing a daunting target of 363 runs, Kerala found themselves in dire straits, slumping to 47 for 5 early in their second innings. The innings took a crucial turn when Azharuddeen came to the crease following the dismissal of captain Sachin Baby for just 18 runs.

Azharuddeen helped stabilize the innings, particularly as he formed a vital partnership with Jalaj Saxena, who contributed a solid 32 runs. Together, they put on 74 runs, taking the team’s total to 121 before Saxena fell to Saransh Jain. However, it was the explosive performance of Sarvate that truly reignited Kerala’s hopes. The Vidarbha allrounder played aggressively, hitting two sixes and eight fours in his rapid 80 off 130 balls, leading the charge in a crucial 90-run partnership with Azharuddeen.

As Kerala started to feel confident in their survival, the loss of Azharuddeen for 68 and Sarvate soon after plunged the team back into uncertainty. Nevertheless, Baba Aparajith, who had retired hurt earlier in the match, emerged as the last recognized batter. He held his composure alongside Nidheesh MD, successfully navigating tense moments in what turned out to be nail-biting conditions. The duo defended for 82 balls to ensure Kerala avoided defeat, allowing them to secure three points from the match due to their first-innings lead.

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Ranji Trophy Round 6 Day 4 brief scores:

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Elite Group A

Elite Group B

Elite Group C

Elite Group D