Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 15 (NationPress) An exceptional first hour witnessed Kerala bowlers M.D. Nidheesh and N.P. Basil slicing through the Maharashtra top order with their swing and bounce, placing the hosts in a dominant position by the end of the first day’s play in their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 encounter at the Sports Hub, Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

After a disastrous start, reduced to 18 for five, Maharashtra found respite in the form of Ruturaj Gaikwad (91, 151b, 11x4) and Jalaj Saxena (49, 106b, 4x4), who forged a vital 122-run partnership for the sixth wicket. This collaboration not only steadied the innings but also ensured the visitors crossed the 150-run mark before bad light and rain cut their innings short at 179 for seven, just 37 minutes post-tea.

Earlier, Kerala captain Mohammed Azharuddeen made a wise choice to bowl first. Nidheesh quickly made an impact, trapping Prithvi Shaw (0) lbw with a sharp inswinger in the opening over. Moments later, Siddesh Veer (0) edged one to the keeper, leaving Maharashtra in deep trouble at 0 for two.

Basil joined the assault, generating steep bounce that caught Arshin Kulkarni (0) off guard — his edge was expertly caught by Rohan Kunnummal at second slip. Basil then dismissed skipper Ankit Bawne (0), plunging the visitors into further chaos at 5 for 4.

With Nidheesh’s inswing causing further issues, Nawale fell leg-before, bringing the score to 18 for five within the first hour. This prompted Jalaj Saxena, facing his former teammates, to the crease. Jalaj batted positively from the start, utilizing his footwork against spin, while Gaikwad found his rhythm with elegant drives and firm cuts, frustrating Kerala’s bowlers for nearly two sessions.

Gaikwad's poise was evident; he struck back-to-back boundaries off Edhen to reach his fifty and continued to find gaps effectively. Just when Maharashtra seemed to be recovering, Nidheesh trapped Jalaj lbw for 49, ending their century partnership. Shortly after, Edhen, who had a challenging initial spell, removed Gaikwad, who was just a fraction late to react as the ball struck his pads.

With Vicky Ostwal (10*) and Ramakrishna Ghosh (11*) steadying the innings, the light deteriorated quickly, prompting the umpires to end play for the day. The accolades for the day belonged to Kerala’s opening bowlers, who demolished Maharashtra’s top order before Gaikwad’s resilient effort salvaged the innings from complete collapse.

Karnataka vs Saurashtra

A mix of youthful zeal and seasoned experience was evident as Devdutt Padikkal (96, 141b, 11x4) and Karun Nair (73, 126b, 9x4) orchestrated a crucial 146-run partnership for the third wicket, propelling Karnataka into a commanding position on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy opener against Saurashtra at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.

Batting first under clear skies, Karnataka faced early setbacks due to the disciplined Saurashtra pacers Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya. Skipper Mayank Agarwal and S. Nikin Jose struggled to find runs against the testing lines, and Dharmendra Jadeja's early spin proved pivotal. The left-arm spinner struck in the 10th over to dismiss Mayank and soon added Nikin’s wicket, leaving Karnataka at 26 for two.

At that juncture, Padikkal and Nair displayed remarkable composure to rebuild. The duo began with caution, emphasizing strike rotation and punishing loose deliveries. Padikkal, in particular, combined elegance with aggression — cutting and driving confidently once settled. Karun’s experience shone as he anchored the partnership, utilizing soft hands and quick singles to alleviate pressure.

As the day progressed, their confidence grew. Both reached their half-centuries in style, forcing the Saurashtra bowlers onto the back foot. However, just as Padikkal seemed poised for a century, Jadeja struck again, trapping Karun plumb in front and later bowled Padikkal for 96 — marking his fourth wicket of the day.

Later, K.L. Shrijith fell cheaply, but R. Smaran (66*, 120b, 4x4, 2x6) and Shreyas Gopal (38*, 69b, 2x4, 2x6) formed an unbeaten 81-run partnership for the sixth wicket, guiding Karnataka to 295 for five at stumps. This partnership provided the visitors with a sense of control after the early wobble, ensuring they ended the day in a favorable position.

Shami shines in Bengal vs Uttarakhand face-off

A thrilling late surge from Mohammed Shami, who claimed three wickets in a single over, enabled Bengal to bowl out Uttarakhand for 213 on the first day of their Ranji Trophy match at Eden Gardens.

Throughout much of the day, Bengal’s bowling accolades belonged to Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (19-4-54-4) and Ishan Porel (15-3-40-3). Shami, returning to red-ball cricket after the Duleep Trophy, appeared out of rhythm in the initial two sessions but turned it on brilliantly in his 15th over to clean up the tail and conclude the innings.

Choosing to bowl first on a grassy pitch, Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran utilized a four-man pace attack — Shami, Akash Deep, Porel, and Jaiswal. The first breakthrough came from Porel, who had Avneesh Sudha caught at second slip by Anustup Majumdar. Jaiswal followed suit with a stunning outswinger to remove Prashant Chopra, and later bowled Uttarakhand skipper Kunal Chandela (7), leaving the visitors at 76 for three at lunch.

Post-break, Bhupen Lalwani (71) attempted to rebuild, sharing a 54-run partnership with Yuvraj Singh, but Bengal’s seamers maintained consistent pressure. Jaiswal and Porel struck in unison to dismantle the middle order, before Shami, reintroduced from the High Court End, swiftly cleaned up No. 9, 10, and 11.

In response, Bengal’s batting began shakily as Easwaran was dismissed on the first ball, caught behind off Devendra Bora. At stumps, Bengal was at 8 for 1, with Sudip Gharami (7*) and Sudip Chatterjee (1*) not out, trailing by 205 runs.

Tamil Nadu vs Jharkhand

Ishan Kishan made a stunning return to first-class cricket, delivering a counterattacking unbeaten 125 off 183 balls, rescuing Jharkhand from a precarious position on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu at Chepauk.

At one point, Jharkhand found themselves struggling, having lost half their side before crossing 160, but Kishan’s aggressive mindset and positive strokeplay shifted the momentum. Together with Sahil Raj (64, unbeaten), the wicketkeeper-batter formed a 150-run unbroken partnership for the seventh wicket, guiding his team to 307 for six at stumps.

Tamil Nadu’s bowlers had dominated the morning session. Gurjapneet Singh, the left-arm seamer, made early inroads with three wickets, while D.T. Chandrasekar, returning to Ranji cricket after nearly ten years, effectively used flight and drift to secure two crucial wickets.

However, once Kishan found his groove, the momentum shifted dramatically. He drove through the covers, swept the spinners effectively, and reached his century with a powerful pull through midwicket. His composure and counterattack ensured that Jharkhand not only recovered but also finished the day strong as they head into Day 2.