Gujarat, at 429 for 7, trails Kerala’s 457 by 28 runs in a gripping contest. Young batting allrounder Jaymeet Patel has made a notable impact this season, scoring an unbeaten 74, crucial for Gujarat’s chances of surpassing Kerala’s lead. Experienced player Priyank Panchal contributed 148 runs, setting a solid foundation. Kerala’s bowlers, especially Jalaj Saxena with 4 for 135, have applied pressure, but Jaymeet’s partnership with Siddharth Desai, adding 72 runs, has revived hopes for Gujarat. As the match progresses, the first innings remains undecided, and Jaymeet’s performance could define his career and Gujarat’s quest for a Ranji final berth.
Gujarat scored 429 for 7 (Panchal 148, Jaymeet 74*, Saxena 4-135) and trails Kerala who made 457 (Azharuddeen 177*, Nagwaswalla 3-81) by 28 runs
This Friday, he has the opportunity to surpass those impactful performances if he can build on his unbeaten 74 and help Gujarat secure the 28 runs needed to achieve a crucial first-innings lead against Kerala. While the first innings remains undecided, the scorecard does not reflect the intriguing nature of this contest, characterized by the contrasting tactics of both teams.
Gujarat’s chances of taking a lead appeared bleak at 357 for 7. Since then, Jaymeet and left-arm spin allrounder Siddharth Desai have forged a partnership of 72 runs in 36.4 overs, diligently batting through the final session to keep alive Gujarat’s aspirations of reaching their first final since the 2016-17 season.
As play concluded for the day, Kerala’s frontline spinners—Jalaj Saxena and Aditya Sarwate—had bowled a cumulative 97 overs out of the 154. Jalaj, who bowled continuously through the morning session, accounted for 61 of those overs, ending with figures of 4 for 137. This performance could prove crucial if Kerala manages to dismiss the three remaining wickets early to claim first-innings supremacy.
Resuming at 222 for 1, Kerala made an early breakthrough when Manan Hingrajia was lbw to Saxena’s straighter delivery. The standout delivery of the day came when Saxena dismissed the well-set Panchal, as the ball ripped in from the rough and crashed into the stumps after evading Panchal’s inside edge. He then had Urvil Patel stumped after deceiving him with flight and drift. At this point, Kerala was in a commanding position as Gujarat slipped to 292 for 4.
Hemang Patel, the bowling allrounder who stepped in as a concussion substitute for Ravi Bishnoi, was promoted in the batting order and blasted a quick-fire 28 runs. The decision to replace Bishnoi was made after he experienced delayed concussion from a fielding effort on Day 3 when the ball struck his forehead while he attempted to stop it at point.
Hemang’s aggressive approach briefly put Kerala on the defensive, but he misplayed a shot leading to a fantastic catch at square third man by substitute Shoun Roger. When Chintan Gaja was adjudged lbw, a decision confirmed by DRS, Gujarat found themselves in a precarious position until Jaymeet revived their hopes, standing between Kerala and a maiden Ranji final.