Jammu and Kashmir Struggles Against Madhya Pradesh in Ranji Trophy Elite Quarterfinal
On the first day of the Ranji Trophy Elite quarterfinal match between Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Madhya Pradesh, the J&K batting lineup faced a tough challenge against a disciplined bowling attack from Madhya Pradesh. After winning the toss, Madhya Pradesh chose to field first and their decision proved to be fruitful as they managed to restrict J&K to a total of 194 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Despite a valiant effort from opener Shubham Khajuria, who scored a patient 60 runs off 140 deliveries, the rest of the J&K batsmen struggled to handle the relentless pressure exerted by the Madhya Pradesh bowlers. Khajuria’s innings was the highlight for J&K as wickets kept falling at the other end, leaving the team in a precarious position.
Other batsmen like Yawar Hassan, Shubham Singh Pundir, P K Dogra, Abdul Samad, and Kanhaiya Wadhawan failed to convert their starts into substantial scores, leading to a collapse in the J&K batting lineup. The highest partnership of 79 runs was between Khajuria and Dogra, but it was not enough to stabilize the innings.
However, lower-order batsman Yudhvir Singh provided some resistance with a quickfire knock of 41 runs off just 35 balls, which helped J&K cross the 190-run mark. Despite the efforts of Singh, Madhya Pradesh’s bowlers, especially Kuldeep Sen with figures of 5 for 66 and Kumar Kartikeya Singh with three wickets, dominated the middle order of J&K.
At the end of Day 1, Madhya Pradesh had a solid start in their first innings, reaching 28 without loss with openers Harsh Gawali and Yash Dubey at the crease. With a lead of 166 runs and all ten wickets in hand, Madhya Pradesh is in a commanding position heading into Day 2 of the quarterfinal match.
Overall, Madhya Pradesh’s disciplined bowling performance and solid start in their innings have put them in control of the match against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy Elite quarterfinal.
