Ranji Trophy: Bowlers steal the show on Day 3

Bowlers claim comprehensive win for Mumbai

Mumbai completed a swift and comprehensive victory early on Day 3. Resuming their second innings at 76/8 after being forced to follow on, Chandigarh tried to show some resistance. However, left-arm spinner Shams Mulani (3/69) and Tanush Kotian (3/30) combined effectively with first-innings hat-trick hero Tushar Deshpande to eventually bowl them out for 196.

Ayush Badoni registers career-best bowling figure

On Day 3, Bengal took their first-innings total to a formidable 429. Centurions Sudip Gharami and Abishek Porel continued to bat with great authority. Gharami scored 133 whereas Porel scored 149. Ayush Badoni surprised one and all and ran through the lower order with a career-best 5/43. With a substantial 189-run lead, Bengal’s bowlers hunted for quick breakthroughs in Delhi’s second innings. Badoni (24*) and Anuj Rawat (25*) remained in the middle as Delhi put up101/3 by stumps, still trailing by 88 runs.

Innings victory for UP and Hyderabad

Uttar Pradesh sealed a crushing innings victory against Bihar on Day 3. After posting a daunting total of 540 in their first innings, UP’s bowling attack dismantled Bihar lineup quickly. Resuming Day 3 at 44/2, Bihar were bowled out for just 141 in their first essay. Forced to follow on immediately, Bihar suffered another collapse and were dismissed for just 132. Uttar Pradesh won the match by an innings and 267 runs as Karan Sharma, Kartik Yadav, Zeeshan Ansari stole the show for UP with the ball.

Hyderabad registered an innings victory over Tripura after a stellar performance from their spin trio. Tanay Thyagarajan, Aniketh Reddy, and Ruthik Mende made the Tripura batters suffer across both innings. Tripura, who had folded for 134 in their first attempt, were bundled out for 120. Hyderabad claimed a dominant home win by the end of Day 3.

Some aim for win, some aim to fight back

The match between Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh was cut short by heavy rain and bad light. Resuming with a first-innings lead, Madhya Pradesh extended their second-innings score to 151/5, thanks to Shubham Sharma’s unbeaten half-century (51*). As MP already lead by 227 runs, J&K will need early wickets to restrict the total.

Saurashtra successfully wrapped up Chhattisgarh’s first innings at 312, securing a crucial 80-run first-innings lead. In second innings, Saurashtra reached 45/0 by the end of Day 3. With an overall lead of 125 runs and all ten wickets intact, Saurashtra are firmly in the driving seat to push for a victory on the final day.

Responding to Jharkhand’s first-innings total of 587, Kerala staged a brave fightback led by Abhishek P Nair. He recorded his maiden first-class century (126), anchored the innings which eventually helped Kerala 256/6 by stumps.