Kerala 281 (Nizar 112, Saxena 67, Prophet 6-53) and 295 for six (Azharuddeen 67*, Nizar 44*) Drew with J&Okay 280 (Wadhawan 48, Muzaffar 44, Nidheesh 6-75) and 399 for 9 Decl (Dogra 132, Wadhawan 64).
Kerala certified on first-innings lead
J&Okay wanted 4 wickets, whereas Kerala merely wanted to bat time to make sure a draw was sufficient since they’d taken a one-run lead. Nizar was unbeaten on 44 off 162 balls, Mohammed Azharuddeen 67 off 118 balls. The seventh-wicket pair batted out 42.4 overs to grind J&Okay’s assault to mud on the ultimate day. Kerala are set to face Gujarat within the semi-final on February 17, whereas Mumbai will tackle Vidarbha within the different semi-final.
As essential as Nizar’s second-innings rearguard was, it was his first-innings 112 that set the sport up for Kerala, taking them from the brink to giving them the lead that finally proved huge. Nizar marshalled the decrease order, placing collectively 81 with No. 11 Basil Thampi to assist steal the lead after J&Okay had Kerala tottering at 200 for 9 after they’d posted 280.
Saxena’s dismissal had the potential to show game-changing, however Nizar stood up, like he did within the must-win last league sport final week towards Bihar when he hit a century to swell their first-innings whole.
Kerala started the ultimate day on 100 for two, nonetheless needing 299 for victory. Nevertheless it was clear from the start that they weren’t after the runs. Sachin Child and Akshay Chandran put collectively 58, however batted collectively for 43 overs within the course of to frustrate J&Okay of their victory march.
The tide turned simply earlier than lunch as J&Okay’s spinners made huge inroads. Chandran was out caught at brief leg by Shubham Khajuria. Quickly after the break, they have been absolutely within the ascendancy after they misplaced two wickets in two overs. Sahil Lotra, the offspinner, had Child jab at one which turned and bounced, whereas Saxena was out trying to drive left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq.
Having hit him via the covers off the earlier supply, he appeared to repeat the shot, however was lulled in fantastically by Mushtaq as he dragged his size again and had Saxena edging to first slip. When Aditya Sarwate was out trying to hoick Mushtaq over the infield, it appeared the tip was nigh.
However Nizar and Azharddeen confirmed resilience and grit in stonewalling J&Okay’s assault for a greater a part of the final three hours to safe a draw.
J&Okay would look again on their first innings lapse with the ball, particularly after they allowed Kerala’s final pair to get away as a turning level. Regardless of that, they bounced again to put up 399 for 9 within the second innings, thanks largely to captain Paras Dogra’s century. The 40-year-old, in his first season as J&Okay captain, hit his first century after a protracted barren run of kind – he hadn’t scored a single half-century previous to this sport.
These efforts in the long run have been solely a comfort in the long run as J&Okay’s second entry into the knockouts within the final 5 years led to a heartbreak. That they are bowing out with out having misplaced a single sport this season will make their exit even more durable to digest.
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
