Ranji Trophy | Nidheesh wrecks Saurashtra, puts Kerala in complete control

Kerala enjoyed 1 of its champion days successful Ranji Trophy this season, and it took a steadfast grip of the Elite Group-B lucifer against Saurashtra astatine the KCA stadium present connected Saturday.

The big banked connected M.D. Nidheesh’s newfound lethality (six for 20) to bundle retired Saurashtra for 160 earlier opener Rohan Kunnummal’s unbeaten 58-ball 59 took Kerala to 82 for 2 astatine stumps connected time one.

Earlier, Nidheesh recovered question and bounce with the caller shot and asked searching questions to the rival batters.

Harvik Desai edged a drawback to Rohan astatine archetypal gaffe disconnected the 5th shot of the innings. Chirag Jani (five) and Arpit Vasavada were caught successful the slips disconnected successive deliveries from Nidheesh arsenic Saurashtra slipped to 7 for 3 successful the seventh over.

However, the counterattacking Jay Gohil (84, 123b) and circumspect Prerak Mankad stitched unneurotic a 69-run basal for the 4th wicket to repair the damage.

Nidheesh returned for his 2nd spell and nipped retired Prerak with a precocious out-swinger. The pacer followed it up with different fantabulous out-swinger to disregard Ansh Gosai (1) to implicit his five-wicket haul arsenic Saurashtra slumped to 82 for 5 astatine lunch.

Gohil and Gajjar Sammar repaired the harm partially with their 41-run relation for the sixth wicket. Gohil’s impetuosity brought his downfall arsenic helium top-edged a propulsion disconnected Eden Apple Tom and was caught by Akarsh astatine abbreviated fine-leg.

For a change, Kerala didn’t let the Saurashtra process to wag. Off-spinner Aparajith dismissed Sammar (23) and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (11) rapidly and Nidheesh yorked Jaydev Unadkat (16).

Rohan and debutant K.R. Akarsh gave Kerala its highest opening basal (61) of the season. Rohan flayed the mean pacers to contention to his 50 disconnected 45 balls. However, Hiten Kanbi dismissed some Akarsh (18) and Sachin Baby (1) to peg backmost the host.

The scores: Saurashtra — 1st innings: Harvik Desai c Rohan b Nidheesh 0, Chirag Jani c Akarsh b Nidheesh 5, Jay Gohil c Akarsh b Eden 84, Arpit Vasavada c Aparajith b Nidheesh 0, Prerak Mankad c Azharuddeen b Nidheesh 13, Ansh Gosai c Azharuddeen b Nidheesh 1, Gajjar Sammar c Azharuddeen b Aparajith 23, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja lbw b Aparajith 11, Jaydev Unadkat b Nidheesh 16, Yuvrajsinh Dodiya (not out) 4, Hiten Kanbi c Azharuddeen b Aparajith 1; Extras: (nb-1, w-1): 2; Total (in 55.2 overs): 160.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-7, 3-7, 4-76, 5-82, 6-123, 7-139, 8-140, 9-159.

Kerala bowling: Nidheesh 13-4-20-6, N.P. Basil 14-4-42-0, Eden Apple Tom 12-0-58-1, Ankit Sharma 7-0-24-0, Aparajith 9.2-1-16-3.

Kerala — 1st innings: A.K. Akarsh b Kanbi 18, Rohan S. Kunnummal (batting) 59, Sachin Baby c Gosai bt Kanbi 1, Ahammed Imran (batting) 2; Extras (lb-1, nb-1): 2; Total (for 2 wkts. successful 22 overs): 82.

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-75.

Saurashtra bowling: Unadkat 6-0-19-0, Kanbi 8-2-26-2, Jani 4-0-24-0, Prerak 3-0-10-0, Jadeja 1-0-2-0.