Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Patidar-Shubham partnership keeps MP in control against Kerala on Day 2

Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Patidar-Shubham partnership keeps MP in control against Kerala on Day 2

Madhya Pradesh turned the tables on Kerala with a dominant second-day display in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C fixture here at the Greenfield International Stadium on Friday. 

The away team’s ascendancy was sparked by its bowlers, who skittled Kerala out for 167 in just over a session, effectively reducing the game to a second-innings shootout. 

Madhya Pradesh looked more assured in its second foray with the bat as the side quickly surmounted Kerala’s seven-run lead and ended the day at 140 for two. 

Rajat Patidar led the away team’s response and looked confident in the middle as he made up for his first-innings failure with an unbeaten fifty. 

Meanwhile, away skipper Shubham Sharma continued to flourish as he closed in on a second fifty of the game (46 not out) with some authoritative stroke play. During the innings, he also went past the 700-run mark in this Ranji season, becoming the second batter to achieve it after Hyderabad’s Tanmay Agarwal. 

The duo’s 80-run partnership for the third wicket hauled the game into Madhya Pradesh’s corner going into the penultimate day. 

Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh pacers Avesh Khan and Aryan Pandey exploited the dewy conditions to scythe through the Kerala top order. 

The home team lost four wickets inside the first seven overs of the day for the addition of just eight runs as Madhya Pradesh roared back into the game. 

Avesh and Aryan found the right amount of movement from the surface to gain edges from the Kerala batters. 

Madhya Pradesh’s momentum, though, was stalled by a counter-attacking partnership between Salman Nizar and Mohammed Azharuddeen. 

While Salman gathered his boundaries with some crisp straight drives, Azharuddeen found them mainly through thick outside edges, which evaded the slip cordon. 

Just when the home team thought it felt the warm embrace of safety, Aryan returned to slide one through Azharuddeen’s bat pad and disturb the timber. 

Madhya Pradesh added three more wickets, including that of Salman, to cloud Kerala’s hopes of gaining an easy first-innings lead. 

But, Aditya Sarwate and Baba Aparajith – battling a hamstring tear – heaved Kerala past Madhya Pradesh’s total, prompting relieved applause from their teammates, which echoed across an empty stadium. 

A heavily strapped Aparajith soon retired hurt as the rest of the Kerala batting folded out, setting the stage for the Madhya Pradesh batters to topple the game’s equilibrium in their side’s favour.