Opening Day of Ranji Trophy Quarter-Finals Sees Impressive Performances by MD Nidheesh, Anshul Kamboj, and Chintan Gaja

The opening day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals showcased an impressive display of bowling skills in all four matches on Saturday. Let’s delve into the highlights of each match:

Kerala vs Jammu & Kashmir:
Kerala’s pacer MD Nidheesh shone with a five-wicket haul, restricting Jammu & Kashmir to 228/8 at stumps at the MCA Stadium in Pune. After winning the toss, Kerala invited J&K to bat first. Nidheesh’s early strikes left J&K reeling at 48/3. Despite some resistance from the middle order, J&K could only manage a modest total by the end of the day.

Mumbai vs Haryana:
Defending champions Mumbai faced a tough challenge against Haryana at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Anshul Kamboj’s 3-58 initially had Mumbai struggling at 94/6. However, a remarkable partnership between Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian rescued Mumbai, propelling them to a competitive total of 278/8 at stumps.

Vidarbha vs Tamil Nadu:
Karun Nair’s unbeaten century and Danish Malewar’s 75 guided Vidarbha to a respectable total of 264/6 at stumps in Nagpur. Despite a couple of wickets from Vijay Shankar, Tamil Nadu faced a tough challenge in their upcoming innings.

Saurashtra vs Gujarat:
In the match between Saurashtra and Gujarat in Rajkot, Gujarat’s bowlers dominated the opening day’s play. Chintan Gaja’s 4-48 helped bundle out Saurashtra for 216. Gujarat, in response, ended the day at 21/0, with Priyank Panchal and Aarya Desai at the crease.

Overall, the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals provided a thrilling start with some standout performances from both batsmen and bowlers. Stay tuned for more action-packed cricket in the upcoming days.