Kerala Fights to Avoid Defeat Against Gujarat in Ranji Trophy Match
Kerala faced a massive first-innings deficit after Gujarat posted 533 runs, anchored by Urvil Patel's double century.
Kerala is currently fighting to avoid an innings defeat against Gujarat in their Ranji Trophy cricket encounter in Ahmedabad. At the end of the third day's play, after being forced to follow on, Kerala reached 41 runs for the loss of one wicket in their second innings.
The visiting team still trails Gujarat's first-innings total by 213 runs. Abhishek Nair was at the crease with 29 runs from 60 deliveries alongside Sachin Baby, who had yet to open his account. Rohan Kunnummal was the lone dismissal for Kerala after contributing seven runs from 22 balls.
Earlier in the match, Gujarat amassed a massive total of 533 runs in their first innings. The batting performance was heavily anchored by Urvil Patel, who played a stellar, unbeaten knock of 210 runs from 227 deliveries, featuring 17 boundaries and six sixes.
Patel was well supported by Aryan Desai, who scored 95 runs, and Vishal Jaiswal, who added 77 runs. A crucial partnership of 179 runs for the sixth wicket between Patel and Jaiswal solidified Gujarat's dominant position in the contest.
Kerala's bowling attack struggled to contain the opposition, though N. Basil managed to pick up three wickets while Aditya Sarwate claimed two.
In response to Gujarat's imposing total, Kerala was bundled out for 279 runs in their first innings, handing Gujarat a commanding 254-run lead. Arzan and Chintan Gaja spearheaded Gujarat's bowling effort, taking four and three wickets respectively.
Vishnu Vinod, Mohammed Azharuddeen, and Aditya Sarwate all managed half-centuries for Kerala, while Sachin Baby contributed 42 runs. However, the rest of the lineup failed to make a significant impact, leaving the team facing an uphill battle to save the match on the final day.