Ahmedabad, Feb 17: Veteran Sachin Baby steadied Kerala’s innings with a resolute unbeaten half-century, guiding his team to 206/4 against a probing Gujarat attack on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal here on Monday.
The 36-year-old southpaw occupied the crease for two full sessions, crafting an unbeaten 69 off 193 balls (8×4) that kept their maiden final hopes alive.
He found an able ally in Mohammed Azharuddeen, who remained unbeaten on 30 off 66 balls (3×4) after surviving a last-ball LBW scare as DRS overturned the decision, denying Gujarat a breakthrough right before stumps.
Trapped LBW by Chintan Gaja, the Kerala keeper-batter was given out by the on-field umpire, sparking celebrations in Gujarat camp.
However, the batter immediately reviewed the decision, and ball-tracking confirmed it was sliding down the leg side as Kerala heaved a sigh of relief, ending the day without further damage.
Their unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 49 runs kept Kerala afloat against Gujarat’s relentless bowling attack, which deployed seven bowlers, though only Arzan Nagwaswalla (16-4-39-1), Priyajitsing Jadeja (12-0-33-1), and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi (15-2-33-1) managed breakthroughs.
With Kerala looking to build on their total, the first session on day two will be crucial, and Baby’s innings will hold the key.
On the other hand, the hosts, seeking their first final appearance since their maiden Ranji Trophy triumph in 2016-17, will look to seize control early.
Opting to bat, Kerala started well, but none of the top-order batters could convert their starts into a big knocks.
While wickets fell at regular intervals, Baby stood firm, bringing up his 28th first-class fifty.
The scoring rate, however, remained sluggish throughout the day as Kerala crawled to 200 in 86.3 overs, consuming over 470 dot balls.
Gujarat toiled hard, and the crucial strikes and low-scoring run-rate from Kerala definitely kept them in the contest.
With four wickets down, an early breakthrough on day two could tilt the balance in favour of the home side.
Kerala looked to be settling in when left-arm pacer Nagwaswalla broke a promising fourth-wicket partnership, worth 71 runs, cleaning up Jalaj Saxena. Attempting a late cut off a back-of-a-length delivery, Jalaj only managed to drag the ball onto his stumps. (PTI)
