PUNE, Feb 8: MD Nidheesh, a medium pacer, took five wickets, allowing Kerala to restrict Jammu and Kashmir to 228 runs for eight on the first day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match on Saturday.
Nidheesh (5/56) troubled the Jammu and Kashmir batsmen right from the start, capturing wickets consistently after Kerala chose to field.
He dismissed openers Shubham Khajuria, Yawer Hassan, Vivrant Sharma, wicket-keeper Kanhaiya Wadhwan, and Lone Nasir Muzaffar.
Basil Thampi (1/31), left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate (1/32), and Nedumankuzhy Basil (1/59) each provided solid support, taking one wicket each.
For Jammu and Kashmir, Wadhawan was the highest scorer with 48 runs off 80 balls, followed by Muzaffar with 44. Sahil Lotra (35) and Hassan (24) started well but couldn’t convert their starts into significant scores, adding pressure on their team.
At the end of the day, Yudhvir Singh (17 not out) and Auqib Nabi (5 not out) were at the crease as Jammu and Kashmir batted for 86 overs.
Jammu and Kashmir had a poor start, losing Khajuria to Nidheesh in the seventh over, and then Sharma and Hassan fell next, leaving them at 48 for three by the 21.2 over mark.
It worsened when captain Paras Dogra (14) was bowled out by Thampi in the 30th over.
Wadhawan and Lotra tried to stabilize their innings with a 55-run partnership for the fifth wicket before Wadhawan got out.
A crucial 51-run partnership between Lotra and Muzaffar followed, further supporting Jammu and Kashmir’s cause.
Brief Scores:
Jammu and Kashmir: 228 for 8 in 86 overs (Kanhaiya Wadhawan 48, Lone Nasir Muzaffar 44, Sahil Lotra 35; Nidheesh MD 5/56).
