Ranji Trophy Highlights: Bengal, Mumbai Edge Closer to Big Wins

Best Batting Performances

Tamil Nadu strengthened their position against Odisha in Bhubaneswar, thanks to contrasting half-centuries from Athish SR and Sonu Yadav. After securing a first-innings lead, TN posted 316, recovering from 207/7, with Yadav scoring a rapid 75-ball 74. Sai Kishore contributed 40 and later took a wicket, leaving Odisha at 47/2 at stumps, needing an improbable 408 to win on the final day.

Goa avoided an innings defeat against Maharashtra, largely due to a fighting century from Abhinav Tejrana. Coming in at 70/4, Tejrana’s hundred helped Goa reach stumps with a lead of 69, though they remain under pressure with only four wickets in hand.

Rajasthan staged a remarkable recovery against Himachal Pradesh, propelled by their lower order. From 104/6, they reached 342, with Manav Suthar scoring a century and Kukna Ajay Singh and Amol Chelani adding half-centuries. The match now appears headed for a draw.

Gujarat improved in their second innings with Jaymeet Patel scoring a breezy century and Urvil Patel adding a half-century, posting 347. However, their first-innings collapse leaves Railways needing just 99 runs to win.

Madhya Pradesh maintained their advantage over Karnataka, thanks to Himanshu Mantri’s unbeaten 89. Despite only four boundaries, his resilient knock helped MP extend their lead to 336 by stumps, countering Karnataka’s fightback led by Vidyadhar Patil and Shikhar Shetty, who shared five wickets.

Best Bowling Performances

Mohammed Shami’s five-wicket haul has Bengal on the verge of an innings victory over Services. Shami dismantled the Services batting, including dismissing top-scorer Rajat Paliwal, leaving them trailing by 102 runs with only two wickets remaining.

Mumbai’s bowlers dominated Hyderabad, enforcing a follow-on after bowling them out for 267. Tushar Deshpande and Himanshu Singh shared five wickets in the first innings, while Mohit Awasthi and Musheer Khan took three each in the second, reducing Hyderabad to 166/7, still trailing by 127 runs.

Andhra seized control against Vidarbha, bowling them out for 191, thanks to Kavuri Saiteja’s four-wicket haul and support from Saurabh Kumar and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Chasing 259, Andhra are well-placed at 93/1 at stumps, eyeing victory on the final day.

Chandigarh secured an innings-and-92-run victory over Kerala. Despite fifties from Vishnu Vinod and Salman Nizar, Rohit Dhanda (four wickets) and Vishu Kashyap (three wickets) ensured a comprehensive win for Chandigarh.