Ranji Trophy: J&K fight back after Kerala take lead

Captain Paras Dogra delivered when it mattered the most, lifting Jammu & Kashmir to 180/3 for a substantial overall lead after Kerala staged a comeback of their own on a gripping third day of their Ranji Trophy quarter-final in Pune on Monday.

Dogra was unbeaten on 73 at stumps, with wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan giving him company on 42, as J&K stretched their lead to 179 runs with seven wickets still in hand.

With Kerala starting the day on overnight 200/9 and still 80 runs behind, J&K entered the field hoping that it would wrap up their opponents' first innings in a jiffy.

However, Salman Nizar had other ideas as the middle-order worked his way to a brilliant 112 off 172 balls after starting the day on 49, helping Kerala to take a one-run lead before their first innings came to an end at 281.

Nizar remained not out, as Basil Thampi chipped in with 15 before becoming seamer Auqib Nabi's (6/53) sixth

victim of the innings to signal the end of Kerala innings.

While Nabi was without a doubt J&K's best bowler, Yudhvir Singh and Sahil Lotra picked up two wickets each.

Pacer M D Nidheesh (2/45), who also ended with six wickets in the first innings besides scoring a handy 30, then sent back the two J&K openers -- Shubham Khajuria (2) and Yawer Hassan (16) -- cheaply as Kerala nosed ahead of their opponents.

Nedumankuzhy Basil (1/43), Nidheesh's new ball partner, compounded J&K's woes in their second innings by removing Vivrant Sharma after the batter had settled down nicely with a 37 off 70 balls.

Kerala had the edge at that point in the game, but the duo of Dogra and Wadhawan dashed their hopes of making further inroads with an unbroken partnership of 102 runs for the fourth wicket.

While Dogra struck seven fours and a six during his stay in the middle, Wadhawan found the fence three times in his 80-ball knock. Dogra took 148 balls to score his runs.

Brief scores:

Jammu and Kashmir: 280 and 180/3 in 57 overs (Paras Dogra 73 not out, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 42 not out; M D Nidheesh 2/45)

Kerala 1st innings: 281 all out in 85 overs (Salman Nizar 112, Jalaj Saxena 67; Auqib Nabi 6/53).