Last Updated:
Nidheesh (5/56) spelt trouble for Jammu and Kashmir batters from the beginning, picking up wickets at regular intervals after Kerala opted to field.
Kerala’s MD Nideesh picked a fifer against J&K. (Image: Representational Image)
Medium pacer MD Nidheesh scalped five wickets to assist Kerala limit Jammu and Kashmir to 228 for eight on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match here on Saturday.
Nidheesh (5/56) spelt trouble for Jammu and Kashmir batters from the beginning, picking up wickets at regular intervals after Kerala opted to field.
He accounted for the wickets of openers Shubham Khajuria, Yawer Hassan, Vivrant Sharma, wicket-keeper Kanhaiya Wadhwan and Lone Nasir Muzaffar.
He was ably supported by Basil Thampi (1/31), left-arm spinner Aditya Sarwate (1/32) and Nedumankuzhy Basil (1/59), who accounted for one wicket each.
For Jammu and Kashmir, Wadhawan top-scored with 48 off 80 balls, while Muzaffar made 44. Sahil Lotra (35) and Hassan (24) also got the starts but did not convert them into big scores, spelling trouble for his or her side.
At stumps, Yudhvir Singh (17 not out) and Auqib Nabi (5 no out) were on the crease as Jammu and Kashmir piled up the runs in 86 overs.
Sent in to bat, Jammu and Kashmir didn’t have an excellent start as Nidheesh sent Khajuria packing in seventh over before accounting for Sharma and Hassan to scale back their opponents to 48 for 3 in 21.2 overs.
It became worse when skipper Paras Dogra (14) was cleaned up Thampi within the thirtieth over.
Thereafter, Wadhawan and Lotra tried to regular the ship with a 55-run partnership for the fifth wicket before the previous perished.
There was one other crucial partnership, this time a 51-run stand for the sixth wicket between Lotra and Muzaffar to assist Jammu and Kashmir’s cause.
Temporary Scores:
Jammu and Kashmir: 228 for 8 in 86 overs (Kanhaiya Wadhawan 48, Lone Nasir Muzaffar 44, Sahil Lotra 35; Nidheesh MD 5/56).
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)
