Ranji Trophy | Madhya Pradesh has a mountain to climb in its semifinal pursuit

Madhya Pradesh has a mountain to climb in its semifinal pursuit

A valiant last-wicket stand and late strikes with the ball put Jammu and Kashmir in prime position against Madhya Pradesh on the third day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the Holkar Stadium here on Sunday.

In the morning session, J & K saluted Vanshaj Sharma (54 n.o.) and Sunil Kumar (26) for adding 65 crucial runs in a 10th-wicket alliance which set a target of 291. MP was jittery in the pursuit, slipping to 87 for five.

The home team will enter the penultimate day needing a further 204 runs for victory, a tough ask given MP’s batting woes in this clash.

Resuming on the second-innings score of 85 for five, J & K overnight batters Kanhaiya Wadhawan and Abid Mushtaq made a sedate start. Wadhawan (23), however, erred when he flung his bat at a delivery from pacer Ramveer Gurjar. Mushtaq (41) suffered a similar rush of blood, falling out of balance to awkwardly hook Kuldeep Sen to deep fine-leg. MP soon had J & K in trouble at 183 for nine, setting its sights on a manageable 230-odd target.

But in a rare twist, Vanshaj and Sunil showed mettle and temperament that were missing in more established batters.

The young players, both of whom have played less than 10 First Class fixtures each, kept MP on the field for 23 more overs. As time wore on, the home team grew frustrated.