By Admin 
Sachin Baby and B. Aparajith’s composed partnership helped Kerala consolidate its position of strength in its Elite Group-B match against Madhya Pradesh here on Tuesday.
The duo batted for almost a session and a half to put on 144 runs in a partnership replete with classy shot-making to give the visitor a chance at an outright victory.
M.P. began the day needing Saransh Jain and Aryan Pandey to continue the previous day’s alliance, but Eden Apple Tom dashed those hopes early by producing back-to-back wickets again. He first removed Aryan by jagging one into his pad, and followed it up by skidding one into Arshad Khan’s front leg.
Sreehari Nair’s maiden First Class wicket compounded the host’s troubles. Running out of company, Saransh utilised the long handle briefly before holing out to cede an 89-run lead to Kerala.
When Rohan Kunnummal fell early again, Kerala may have worried about a third-innings collapse, but those fears were allayed by Abhishek J. Nair and Baby’s 68-run partnership.
After some early edges, the pair batted calmly, keeping the scoreboard ticking and putting away bad balls without taking undue risks.
However, Kerala lost two wickets in a jiffy. Abhishek departed first, getting a leading edge off an innocuous delivery, followed by skipper Mohammed Azharuddeen, who holed out to long-on.
Baby and Aparajith took control from there. The pair dictated proceedings and prevented M.P. from capitalising on its momentum. Their strokeplay grew more adventurous as the host tired, finding the boundary with increasing frequency.
Sachin Baby and Baba Aparajith.
| Photo Credit:
R. RAGU
M.P. thought it had Baby caught behind late in the day, but a referral indicated that the ball had bounced on the way to the ’keeper. With the pair unbroken at the crease, Kerala now goes into the final day with a 315-run lead and its fate in its own hands.
The scores: Kerala — 1st innings: 281.
Madhya Pradesh — 1st innings: Harsh Gawli lbw b Nidheesh 21, Yash Dubey b Abhijith 0, Himanshu Mantri lbw b Nidheesh 21, Shubham Sharma lbw b Eden 10, Harpreet Singh Bhatia lbw b Eden 0, Rishabh Chouhan c Imran b Aparajith 21, Saransh Jain c Kunnummal b Nidheesh 67, Aryan Pandey lbw b Eden 36, Arshad Khan lbw b Eden 0, Kumar Kartikeya b Sreehari 7, Kuldeep Sen (not out) 0; Extras: (b-5, lb-4): 9; Total (in 77.1 overs): 192.
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-43, 3-60, 4-60, 5-73, 6-101, 7-160, 8-160, 9-179.
Kerala bowling: Nidheesh 23.1-2-55-3, Abhijith 9-2-12-1, Eden 16-2-55-4, Sreehari 17-3-46-1, Aparajith 9-3-12-1, Ankit 3-0-3-0.
Kerala – 2nd innings: Rohan Kunnummal lbw b Kartikeya 7, Abhishek J. Nair c Chouhan b Kuldeep 30, Sachin Baby (batting) 85, Mohammed Azharuddeen c Harpreet b Saransh 2, B. Aparajith (batting) 89; Extras (b-4, lb-5, nb-1, w-3): 13; Total (for three wkts. in 64 overs): 226.
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-79, 3-82.
Madhya Pradesh bowling: Aryan 8-2-28-0, Kartikeya 17-3-45-1, Arshad 14-0-60-0, Saransh 13-1-42-1, Kuldeep 12-1-42-1.