Ranji Trophy final: Kerala eyes first innings lead as Sachin Baby leads fight with 82 not out

Nagpur: The Ranji Trophy cricket final between Kerala and Vidarbha heads toward an exciting finish at the halfway stage, with Kerala fighting with patience and grit to overcome Vidarbha's first innings total of 379 runs. With six wickets down at 298, Kerala's captain Sachin Baby (82 not out) and senior player Jalaj Saxena (11) continue the fight, with the primary goal of achieving a first innings lead.

On Friday, Kerala lost three wickets, as Aditya Sarwate (79), Muhammad Azharuddeen (34), and Salman Nizar (21) were dismissed by Vidarbha bowlers. In the first session, Kerala lost Aditya Sarwate and Salman Nizar, and soon after lunch, Muhammad Azharuddeen was dismissed.

Having started the third day at 131 for 3, Kerala's score reached 170 when Sarwate was dismissed. Sarwate scored 79 runs off 185 balls, including 10 boundaries, before being dismissed by Harsh Dubey. Sarwate’s attempt to defend a flighted delivery from Dubey on the front foot went wrong, and the ball, after hitting the bat, was easily caught by Danish Malewar.

After adding 67 runs with Sachin Baby for the fourth wicket, Sarwate was dismissed. Later, with the team score at 219, Salman Nizar was also dismissed. Trying to defend a delivery from Harsh Dubey that turned unexpectedly from a rough spot on the pitch, Nizar misjudged the turn and was given out LBW after an appeal from the Vidarbha players. Although Nizar took a review, it was unsuccessful. The partnership between Sachin and Salman produced 49 runs.