Photo via The Hindu

Ranji Trophy: Jalaj’s late strikes boost Kerala’s push for victory

Kerala’s bowling attack turned the tide in a high-stakes Ranji Trophy clash against Odisha on the third day, with Jalaj Saxena delivering a late flurry of wickets to stymie the visitors’ recovery. After Odisha had rebuilt their innings with a 71-run partnership between Subhranshu Senapati and Gourav Choudhary, Saxena dismantled their top order in three deliveries, dismissing Senapati and Choudhary within a span of overs.

The hosts, batting first, had posted a strong 404, and Odisha’s chase was left in disarray at 102 for four when poor light halted play, leaving them 78 runs short of the target to force a follow-on. Earlier, Odisha had collapsed from 185 for five to 193 for nine, with Lalit Yadav’s brief resistance—including four sixes—proving futile as Kerala’s spin trio of Vaisakh Chandran, Sarvate, and Saxena combined for nine wickets to restrict Odisha to 225 in their first innings.

The match now hinges on Kerala’s ability to capitalize on Odisha’s weakened batting lineup in the final session, with the hosts holding a commanding lead in the first innings.

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