Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Patidar, Iyer shine with the bat as MP sets a target of 363 for Kerala on Day 3
Willed on by contrasting fifties from Rajat Patidar and Venkatesh Iyer, Madhya Pradesh perched itself on a commanding position in its Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match against Kerala here at the Greenfield International Stadium on Saturday.
While Patidar relied on easy-on-the-eye stroke play, Venkatesh’s knock was an exhibition of brutal power hitting. Their efforts helped Madhya Pradesh to set the home team a target of 363.
Kerala openers Rohan Kunnummal and Akshay Chandran weathered an intense new-ball spell from Avesh Khan and Aryan Pandey. But Akshay fell off the last ball of the day, bowled by left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya Singh, as Kerala ended on 28 for one.
Madhya Pradesh started the day on the backfoot after it lost skipper Shubham Sharma early – castled by Basil NP – soon after he completed his fifty.
But Patidar steadied the ship with an elegant knock. The right-handed batter regularly pierced the cover region with an array of punches and drives.
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Six of his 11 boundaries came through the area as he piled on Kerala’s misery on a growingly docile pitch – home wicketkeeper Mohammed Azharuddeen rarely had to gather anything above his knees against the pacers.
The cover drive eventually led to Patidar’s downfall as he nicked a fuller one from Basil to Akshay Chandran in the slip cordon, falling just eight short of a well-deserved hundred.
Kerala stayed alive in the morning session thanks to Basil’s persistence. The right-arm pacer was the only one to consistently trouble the away batters, ending the innings with a four-wicket haul.
Post-lunch, Kerala’s experienced spin duo of Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarwate chipped in with a few wickets to ensure the away team didn’t run away with the game. Saxena struck first with an athletic return catch, with the 38-year-old leaping full-length to his right to nab Saransh Jain.
The game though slowed down to a crawling pace, going into the tea break, thanks to Kerala’s overtly defensive field placements and Madhya Pradesh’s indifferent scoring rate.
But Venkatesh came out for the final session with a renewed gameplan as he uncorked his range of aggressive shot-making.
Venkatesh reserved his best for Saxena, smoking the off-spinner for four sixes in an over. The left-handed batter then shattered a dressing room window after thumping MD Nidheesh over the long-on fence.
Venkatesh’s late onslaught effectively obliterated any possibility of a Kerala win as Madhya Pradesh soon declared at 369 for eight, with more than three sessions to play.
