Priyank Panchal’s Unbeaten Ton Steadies Gujarat’s Reply to Kerala’s 457

Priyank Panchal led Gujarat’s strong response to Kerala’s first-innings total of 457, crafting an unbeaten century as Gujarat ended Day 3 in a comfortable position at 222/1.

Solid Opening Stand Gives Gujarat a Strong Start

Gujarat’s openers started on a positive note, regularly finding boundaries and bringing up a brisk 50-run partnership within 13 overs. By Lunch, they had progressed to 61 without loss and carried their momentum into the second session. While Arya Desai was the aggressor early on, reaching his half-century with a stylish cover drive in 82 balls, Panchal followed soon after, bringing up his fifty in 96 deliveries with back-to-back boundaries off Aditya Sarwate.

Kerala Finds Breakthrough, But Gujarat Remains Unshaken

Kerala finally broke through when Nedumankuzhy Basil dismissed Desai for 73. The Gujarat opener had begun to accelerate but was bowled after smashing two boundaries in Basil’s previous over. His wicket ended a solid 131-run opening stand.

Manan Hingrajia then joined Panchal, and the duo ensured Gujarat remained unscathed until Tea at 146/1. Panchal then took charge in the final session, building an unbroken 91-run partnership with Hingrajia. The Gujarat skipper reached his century in 155 balls, bringing up the milestone with a six off Sarwate. He played watchfully for the remainder of the day, finishing unbeaten on 117, while Hingrajia remained not out on 30. With nine wickets still in hand, Gujarat trails Kerala by 235 runs.

Mohammed Azharuddeen’s Unbeaten 177 Guides Kerala to 457

Earlier in the day, Kerala’s Mohammed Azharuddeen extended his overnight score, reaching 150 with a single off the first ball of Day 3. He added 40 more runs with the tail before Kerala was bowled out for 457 in the 10th over of the morning session. Azharuddeen remained unbeaten on 177. Gujarat skipper Chintan Gaja was instrumental in wrapping up the innings, taking two of the last three wickets to finish with figures of 2/75, while Arzan Nagwaswalla was the pick of the bowlers with 3/81.

Brief Scores:

Kerala 457 (Mohammed Azharuddeen 177, Sachin Baby 69, Salman Nizar 52; Arzan Nagwaswalla 3-81, Chintan Gaja 2-75)*
Gujarat 222/1 (Priyank Panchal 117, Arya Desai 73; Nedumankuzhy Basil 1-40) – Trails by 235 runs*

@cricholic