Ranji Trophy day 3 - Saurashtra on brink of quarter-finals after innings win

Here's a recap of day three:

- Table-toppers Andhra are all but assured of a quarter-final berth after a commanding batting display against Nagaland, piling up 536 for 9, led by CR Gnaneshwar's 227. Nagaland are 85 for 4 in the third innings, still 85 runs behind. Andhra will look to wrap up the match on day four.

- Jharkhand will need a strong showing in the chase on the fourth day to book a place in the QFs. Odisha are 202 for 8 in the third innings, holding a lead of 221. Jharkhand will back themselves given their form this season, though any chase beyond 200 is demanding. Failure to secure an outright win would open the door for Vidarbha to move up to second.

- Vidarbha need 110 more runs with six wickets in hand against Uttar Pradesh in Nagpur. Their all-round bowling effort left them chasing just 201, but a top-order wobble triggered by Shivam Sharma’s spell has set up a tense final day. Jharkhand will be watching closely, and Vidarbha likewise. If both sides finish tied on 25 points, Jharkhand will qualify due to superior bonus points (3 to 1).

- Vimal Khumar's 182 and Pradosh Ranjan Paul’s 80 helped Tamil Nadu reach 411 for 7 in reply to Baroda's 375. The game is drifting towards a draw, with little left at stake.

- Table-toppers Maharashtra are table-toppers no more. They were knocked out on Saturday after a fourth-innings collapse against Madhya Pradesh in Indore. That defeat sends MP into the knockouts. Shubham Sharma’s 90 and Venkatesh Iyer’s 60 set Maharashtra 267, but they collapsed spectacularly, with four ducks and eight batters dismissed for single-digit scores. One of the ducks was birthday boy Ruturaj Gaikwad, as Maharashtra folded for 133. Kumar Kartikeya and Aryan Pandey shared four wickets apiece.

- Saurashtra's pair of Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Chirag Jani picked up four wickets each, while earlier Harvik Desai's unbeaten 200 set up a win by an innings and 158 runs over Chandigarh. That result briefly lifted them to the top of the table but they eventually settled into second place after MP beat Maharashtra. Saurashtra will remain second and qualify if Karnataka fail to win on Sunday.

- Karnataka are on the back foot against Punjab in Mohali, knowing anything less than a win will eliminate them. Shreyas Gopal’s fighting half-century gave Karnataka a slender first-innings lead, but Punjab responded strongly to reach 119 for 3. With just one day left and fog a concern, Karnataka will need a miracle on Sunday.

- Kerala hold the upper hand over Goa in Porvorim. Rohan Kunnummal struck 153 and Vishnu Vinod made 113 in Kerala’s 526 for 9. Goa are 18 for 0 in the third innings, trailing by 153. Kerala could seal their first win of the season on Sunday if the bowlers deliver.

- Bengal topped Group C after Shahbaz Ahmed’s six-wicket haul bowled out Haryana — the state of his birth — for 110, completing a 188-run win in Rohtak. Haryana needed 294 to secure qualification outright but were undone by Shahbaz’s spin on a difficult batting surface. Bengal had already confirmed their QF spot in the previous round. Haryana will drop out of the Q zone if Uttarakhand win on Sunday.

- Uttarakhand hold all the aces against Assam in Dehradun after a dominant bowling display. Chasing Uttarakhand’s 460 for 7, Assam were forced to follow on after being dismissed for 140. They are now 224 for 6 in the third innings, still 96 behind. Uttarakhand would need a major slip-up to not win from here.

- The inconsequential game between Gujarat and Tripura is likely to end in a draw. Tripura’s two recruits, Vijay Shankar (151) and Hanuma Vihari (90), lifted them to 427 in reply to Gujarat’s 352. Gujarat ended day three on 53 for 2, still 22 runs behind.

- A sporting third-innings declaration from Services set Railways a target of 298 in Delhi with just over 100 overs remaining. Railways replied with 69 for 1 at stumps. Earlier, Services’ Arjun Sharma claimed six wickets before their batters struggled to 166 for 8 prior to declaring. Railways need 229 more on Sunday, while Services hunt nine wickets.

- Jammu & Kashmir batted for 182.1 overs in Nadaun across days two and three to amass 771 in the first innings, knowing qualification is assured unless they lose. They batted without any desire to declare after responding to Himachal Pradesh’s 168. Abid Mushtaq, batting at No. 8, made 177 on his own - more than HP's first-innings total - while No. 6 Kanhaiya Wadhawan scored 110, and Shubham Pundir plundered 165 yesterday. Himachal are staring at either a draw or a heavy innings defeat, leaving J&K on course for qualification.

- It is even-stevens between table-toppers Mumbai, who are already through, and Delhi. After Delhi’s 221 on day one, Mumbai replied with 317, with Lad scoring his fifth century of the season and Parkar contributing 58. Divij Mehra took five wickets for Delhi. Delhi then hit back through Kandpal’s 61 and Doseja’s 62. Delhi cannot qualify, regardless of Sunday’s result.

- Hyderabad are eight wickets away from victory over Chhattisgarh after posting 631 in the first innings. Pragnay Reddy was the ninth wicket to fall for 126. Hyderabad’s dominance was built on a fluent 171 from Himateja and a commanding 121 from Abhirath the previous day. Chhattisgarh are 100 for 2 in the third innings, still 248 behind. The state of the game has all but ended their qualification hopes, while Hyderabad are already out.

- Puducherry need 121 runs with eight wickets in hand to beat Rajasthan in Puducherry. Mahipal Lomror’s 131 helped Rajasthan reach 352 before they were bowled out, setting Puducherry a target of 172. Puducherry made a solid start, reaching 51 for 2 at stumps. Neither side can qualify for the QFs.

Clutch. That's what Saurashtra were in their final group-stage game. Starting the week ranked fourth, they have thumped Chhattisgarh by an innings at 58 runs to all-but-confirm their place in the knockouts.

The seven points earned zooms them up into first place in Group B, although temporarily, and they'll likely slide to second once the Maharashtra vs MP game is finally settled. As it stands, MP are favourites there by a mile amid a Maharashtra collapse.

Karnataka can still go past Saurashtra and take the second position, but for that Karnataka need to win outright against Punjab.

Punjab are 69/1 in the third innings, with a lead of 62 right now so the window of opportunity is diminishing for Karnataka. What compounds Karnataka's problems is the fog issue in the morning in Mohali that has eaten into the overs in this game. Saurashtra will be praying for Punjab to hold on.

Vimal Khumar has gone well past 150 to get Tamil Nadu close to getting a first-innings lead against Baroda. Pradosh Ranjal Paul with 80 for TN as well. TN 328/4 in response to Baroda's 375.

However, with the three draws, two defeats and just one win for TN all season, TN are only playing for pride. Same goes for Baroda, who were just off the mark at crucial points this season.

It's been a topsy-turvy game between the two top Group B teams - Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

MP were skittled for 187. Maharashtra were rolled over for 179.

Shubham Sharma's 90 and Venkatesh Iyer's 60 then lifted MP to 258 in the third innings today.

That left Maharashtra needing 267 to win this afternoon, a chase that would seal qualification as table toppers. Instead, the innings unraveled early - Prithvi Shaw fell for 5, while Arshin Kulkarni, birthday boy Ruturaj Gaikwad and S Mhatre got ducks. As it stands, Maharashtra are in deep trouble at 66 for 6, and that's only thanks to Niraj Joshi's 42. But he's gone too. Kumar Kartikeya has taken four of the six.

If Maharashtra go down, MP will finish as group toppers. But Maharashtra's defeat opens the door for either Saurashtra, who remain the more likely beneficiaries or Karnataka, who still have an outside chance, to sneak into the knockouts.

Just like Haryana in Group C, Maharashtra now rely on other results (spoiler: they're on the wrong side of the odds) to know their fate.

That's what Hyderabad finish on, at home in response to Chhattisgarh 283.

Hyderabad are already out of the quarter-final race, but the size of their 348-run lead is a heavy blow for Chhattisgarh. Regardless of the final result here, Chhattisgarh now appear set to narrowly miss out on qualification from Group D.

Pragnay Reddy was the ninth wicket to fall, dismissed for 126. Hyderabad’s dominance was underpinned by a fluent 171 from Himateja, who fell earlier today, and a commanding 121 from Abhirath yesterday.

Chhattisgarh's attempt to go past second-placed J&K to qualify now looks near impossible. More so because J&K themselves surged to a lead of more than 450 against Himachal and, at last count, had already gone past Hyderabad’s score - they were 632 for 7 at last glance. Abid Mushtaq is the third centurion of the innings. (Scorecard)

Haryana now hang in there by a thread. They mustered only 105 in the fourth innings, in pursuit of the 294 target against Bengal. Haryana would've definitely made the QFs had they chased the target, but Shahbaz Ahmed ran through their line-up. (Scorecard)

Shahbaz (5/42 and 6/38) is also the Player of the Match as Bengal finish as Group C toppers.

Haryana remain on second place, but for how long? Uttarakhand, third on the table, are dominating Assam in Dehradun. We wait and watch...

Group B could go down to the wire.

Fourth-place Saurashtra are on course for a comfortable/big win.

The game between leaders and second-placed Maharashtra vs MP potentially could knock each other out.

And Karnataka (currently third on the table) have just taken the first-innings lead against Punjab, even if they were nine down. Shreyas Gopal's half century rallied the team after a late start owing to fog in Mohali.

Karnataka need to find a way to win, but with the overs lost, the odds are stacked against them.

An hour ago, we shared that Haryana needed 294 to qualify into the QFs. But Rohtak has not been an easy batting track, and against Group C table-toppers Bengal - who have already secured qualification - Haryana are falling apart.

Shahbaz Ahmed, the left-arm spinner, has been the wrecker in chief. He's currently on 6 for 26 and Haryana are reeling at 77 for 7. We could be in for an early finish.

Shahbaz's best bowling figures in FC cricket is 7 for 56. He'll be gunning to better that. There's also a sense of irony in the whole thing because Shahbaz was born in Haryana's Mewat but left for Bengal to search for better cricket opportunities.

Starting this week on second place in Group D, and with a sizeable 4-point lead ahead of third-placed Chhattisgarh, J&K found themselves needing to avoid doing silly things to qualify.

Against Himachal Pradesh in Amtar, J&K have not only avoided the above, but have outshone their opponents in 2 and a half days of cricket. A 165 from Pundir yesterday and 110 from Wadhawan today has taken their score to 531 for 7 in response to HP's paltry 168.

That means we're all but certain that Mumbai (who are assured of qualification, and also on top of Delhi in their last group-stage fixture) and J&K will represent Group D come the knockouts.

In an important game over at Group A between table-toppers Andhra and bottom-of-the-pack Nagaland, Andhra have gone past 500 against Nagaland, on the back of No. 6 CR Gnaneshwar's double century, by far his best first-class score.

Gnaneshwar, from Tirupati in Andhra, has been in top form in domestic cricket. In two of his last three innings (although that was in the List-A format) for Andhra, he pumped two centuries (142* and 102) against Haryana and Gujarat.

Andhra's lead is now 150+ on the back of strong partnerships. Nagaland would've wanted a better bowling effort after posting a strong 366 in the first innings. Let's see when Andhra declare and push for an outright win with five sessions to go.

It's a big game for Andhra, since they're at 28 points, but Jharkhand and Vidarbha are at 25 apiece just behind them.

Vidarbha, three-time winners in the last decade and defending champs currently, are well placed to win their final game, unless Uttar Pradesh really up their game with the ball in the fourth innings.

Jharkhand are currently on the back foot against Odisha, but there could be some twists remaining in that fixture. It's been a terrific season for Jharkhand otherwise, across formats, and I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually pull out a come-from-behind win this weekend.

Therefore, for Andhra to win is crucial if they want to confirm their QFs spot without external assistance.

In the last decade, Saurashtra have been champions twice and runners-up twice: that means four finals since 2015-16.

But this season, after drawing the first four games, they finally regained their winning habit against Goa and Punjab. But the start was the reason why they were languishing at fourth on the Group B points table.

To leapfrog to atleast second (which is the benchmark all teams are playing for in each group), they need to win and win big against Chandigarh. Which they are on their way to doing. Chandigarh have seven wickets in hand and trail by a further 193 in the third innings. If Saurashtra get an innings win, that could very well seal their QF spot since Karnataka's game could be a draw, as could Maharashtra-MP.

It's been a difficult batting pitch in Rohtak, where Group C table-toppers Bengal are visiting Haryana. Bengal made 193 in the first innings and Haryana were skittled for 100. But Bengal, in the third innings, have been bowled out for 200, leaving Haryana with fate in their own hands.

They have over 5 sessions to get 294, which won't be easy, but they'd take a target like this for qualification if they were offered one at the start of the season. Can the Haryana batters step up and beat the Group C table-toppers? Uttarakhand (and Services), who are chasing Haryana on the table, would hate to see that.

From 244 for 6 overnight, Jharkhand have been bowled out for 263 against Odisha.

It's a slender deficit of 19 for Jharkhand, but this is exactly what Andhra and Vidarbha would've wanted as Group A heats up.

In the final Elite Group, Group D toppers Mumbai (30 pts) - who have been dominant all season - have taken a lead against Delhi. They already had their QF spots locked in before the round and want to put in a strong show before their knockout fixture.

J&K, currently second with 21 points, are very well placed to join Mumbai in the final eight after their big first-innings lead against Himachal Pradesh in Nadaun.

Third-placed Chhattisgarh (19 points) are struggling against Hyderabad and their chances are slipping away.

Group C is a two-horse (or three, if you're an optimist) race for the second qualification spot. Bengal (30 points) have a sizeable lead on the points table and have the upper hand in their game against Haryana already. So they're secure.

It comes down to which of Haryana (24 pts), Uttarakhand (22 pts) and Services (19 pts) hold their nerve while keeping their eyes on other results. Haryana are struggling against Bengal, which gives Uttarakhand a great opportunity to leapfrog them, especially since Uttarakhand have Assam on the mat in Dehradun.

Services basically need a miracle in Dehradun to have any chance of qualification. They also need to win, for starters, against Railways.

Four teams remain in contention for the two qualification spots, with just five points separating Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Saurashtra (click for points table).

The marquee contest is the potential nail-biter between Maharashtra (24 points) and Madhya Pradesh (22), currently underway in Indore. MP have already secured a first-innings lead and will be pushing for an outright win. Maharashtra, meanwhile, would not mind settling for a draw and the accompanying point; while that wouldn’t guarantee qualification, it would leave them well placed depending on results elsewhere. MP’s situation is more precarious: with Karnataka and Saurashtra close behind, anything short of a win could prove costly if those two manage outright victories. MP will therefore be hoping Karnataka and Saurashtra stumble; if that happens, MP and Maharashtra would progress.

For Karnataka (21 points), time is beginning to run out against Punjab. The match is still in its first two innings, but Karnataka are already on the back foot, trailing by 54 runs, leaving them with limited room for error.

Saurashtra (19 points) face the clearest path but also the steepest requirement. Ideally, they need an innings victory — a bonus-points win worth seven points — and that outcome is very much on the table. Chandigarh are currently 286 runs behind in the third innings, and with momentum firmly on their side, Saurashtra will be eyeing a push for maximum of seven points. However, there's a small chance that still may not be enough if Karnataka and MP/Maharashtra dominate the next two days.

Well, this is the round that decides the eight quarter-finalists. The top two from each Elite Group will move forward and here's how things stand (click here for full table)

Group A leaders Andhra (28 points) are not guaranteed a top-two finish yet. They are currently behind Nagaland on first-innings in Sovima. To seal qualification, Andhra need to at least draw with a first-innings lead — a scenario that looks uncertain right now but remains possible if their lower order can contribute. There is also a path where they slip to third: if Vidarbha and Jharkhand (discussed below) secure big wins and Andhra fail to do enough.

Jharkhand (25 points) currently occupy second place, narrowly ahead of Vidarbha (also on 25), who sit third. Jharkhand head into day three in Jamshedpur looking to grind out a first-innings lead against Odisha. Vidarbha’s situation is different: their match against Uttar Pradesh offers no scope for first-innings points, with both sides having been dismissed for identical totals of 237. Vidarbha are therefore pushing for an outright win, but even that may not be enough if both Jharkhand and Andhra take care of their own results.

Hello, friends, once again to ESPNcricinfo’s Ranji Trophy coverage. This is day 3 and that means only one thing - action, action and more action. Sixteen games in all being played around the country. Keep your eyes peeled on this space as the first set of updates start to roll in…

If you missed the first two days of action, the blog post preceding this has all the updates till end of day two.

Chetan Bist smashed an excellent 189 to take Nagaland to 366 against Andhra. He had good support from Dega Nischal, while Kavuri Saiteja and Tripurana Vijay picked up three wickets apiece. In reply, Abhisek Reddy and Karan Shinde scored 51 each while CR Gnaneshwar remained unbeaten on 87 as Andhra ended the second day on 267 for 5, trailing Nagaland by 99 runs.

In Jamshedpur, Shikhar Mohan continued his good run of form, scoring 80 while contributions across the board took Jharkhand to 244 for 6, trailing Odisha by 38 runs. Saurabh Shekhar and Aditya Singh's three-fors had earlier helped Jharkhand bowl out Odisha for 282.

The Vidarbha-Uttar Pradesh game, ended with both teams ending their first innings on 237. For the longest time, it felt that Danish Malewar and Nachiket Bhute would take Vidarbha to a first-innings lead. They stitched a 126-run stand after Vidarbha were struggling at 95 for 6. But from 221 for 6, they collapsed to be bowled out for 237. Shivam Mavi was the star of the show as he picked up 7 for 59. Vidarbha then lost two wickets to end the day on 75 for 2.

In Salem, captain Atit Sheth scored 109 as Baroda racked up 375. In reply, Tamil Nadu ended the second day on 118 for 0, trailing Baroda by 257 runs.

Harpreet Brar claimed four wickets but Shreyas Gopal and Vidyadhar Patil steadied Karnataka after KL Rahul's 59 as Karnataka ended day two on 255 for 6, trailing Punjab by 54 runs.

A riveting Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra game saw MP eke out a narrow eight-run first-innings lead. Kumar Kartikeya picked up 6 for 33 to restrict Maharashtra to 179 after MP had collapsed to 187 allout. In the second innings, Shubham Sharma and Venkatesh Iyer scored fifties as MP ended day two on 166 for 4.

Rohan Kunnummal's unbeaten 132 helped Kerala end day two on 237 for 2, trailing Goa by 118. Earlier, Suyash Prabhudessai scored 86 but Ankit Sharma's six-for limited Goa.

Harvik Desai struck a maiden Ranji double ton to help Saurashtra gain a mammoth 322-run first-innings lead against Chandigarh.

Akash Deep and Shahbaz Ahmed shared five wickets apiece as Haryana were blown away for 100, with Bengal taking a 93-run first-innings lead. Abhimanyu Easwaran (61*) and Sudip Kumar Gharami(61) took Bengal to 155 for 3 at the end of day two, an overall lead of 248.

Captain Kunal Chandela smashed his maiden first-class double century as Uttarakhand amassed 460 for 7 declared against Assam. Mayank Mishra then picked three wickets to reduce Assam to 91 for 4.

Railways ended day two on 168 for 6, trailing Services by 175 runs.

Siddhesh Lad scored an unbeaten 102, while Suved Parkar also scored an unbeaten fifty as Mumbai took a first-innings lead against Delhi. They ended the day on 266 for 5, a lead of 41.

Neyan Shyam Kangayan and Aman Khan scored centuries to give Puducherry a 181-run first innings lead against Rajasthan.

Kodimela Himateja (125*) and Abhirath Reddy (121) scored centuries to lift Hyderabad to 415 for 4 on the second day. They lead Chhattisgarh by 132 runs.

Shubham Pundir epic 165 followed by fifties from captain Paras Dogra, Abdul Samad and Kanhaiya Wadhawan helped J&K rack up 387 for 5, a lead of 219 runs against Himachal Pradesh

A stellar maiden Ranji double-century from Harvik Desai helped Saurashtra gained a mammoth 322-run first-innings lead against Chandigarh. Jay Gohil (98) and Arpit Vasavada (96) missed out on a ton, but captain Desai ensured he kept his composure to end on an unbeaten 200 as Saurashtra declared their first innings on 453 for 3. Chandigarh ended day two on 31 for 0, trailing Saurashtra 286 runs.

It's been a stunning spell of bowling from the left-arm spinner who has varied his pace brilliantly and bagged four wickets, dismissing Mayank, Rahul, Aneesh KV and Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal fell for just 9, caught at short leg, while Aneesh was dismissed sweeping.

It's a stalemate at the Vidarbha-Uttar Pradesh game, with Vidarbha collapsing quite spectacularly. For the longest time, it felt that Danish Malewar and Nachiket Bhute would take Vidarbha to a first-innings lead. They stitched a 126-run stand after Vidarbha were struggling at 95 for 6. But from 221 for 6, they collapsed to be bowled out for 237. Shivam Mavi was the star of the show as he picked up 7 for 59 to restrict Vidarbha.

It's been a stellar bowling show from the two Bengal stalwarts as they share five wickets apiece to skittle Haryana for 100 and take a 93-run lead. Akash Deep got the ball to nip and move around all innings, finishing with 5 for 40, his fifth being Anshul Kamboj, who got a thick outside edge to the keeper. Shahbaz then wrapped up the innings, returning 5 for 42. Bengal have already lost Sudip Chatterjee, but they will want to stretch that lead.

Danish Malewar and Nachiket Bhute have added an unbroken half-century stand to dig Vidarbha out of a hole. After bowling out UP for 237 with Harsh Dubey bagging six, Vidarbha were in all sorts at 95 for 6. Shivam Mavi had grabbed four quick wickets and it seemed like UP were in for a huge lead. But Malewar and Bhute have since dug in. Malewar has crossed fifty and Bhute is close.

As things stand, Vidarbha have brought down the deficit to below 50. Can they take an unlikely first-innings lead?

Captain Harvik Desai continued his good form as he racked up a century, as Saurashtra extended their first-innings lead against Chandigarh. Desai has raced to 150 off 216 balls, with 18 fours and a six. Jay Gohil earlier fell for 98, while Arpit Vasavada is unbeaten at lunch alongside Desai.

Meanwhile, there is a jostle for a first-innings lead in the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh game. Maharashtra are eight down, trailing by just 13 runs. Saurabh Nawale holds the key for Maharashtra. Ruturaj Gaikwad had earlier fallen for 46.

In Hyderabad, Abhirath Reddy and Aman Rao scored fifties while Rahul Singh and Himateja have also looked solid as they look for a first-innings lead against Chhatisgarh.

In Nadaun, Shubham Pundir's half-century has taken Jammu & Kashmir in a good position after Himachal Pradesh were bowled out for 168 with Sunil Kumar picking a five-wicket haul.

It's been slow-going for Mumbai and Musheer Khan but against a disciplined Delhi attack, they have been solid. Akhil Herwadkar and Musheer added 26 runs for the third wicket, but took 16.2 overs as they blunted the Delhi bowlers. Fast bowler Divij Mehra got his second wicket when he had Herwadkar edging to slip. Musheer and captain Siddhesh Lad have since added 44 runs for the fourth wicket, taking Mumbai to 88 for 3 at lunch.

The spicy Lahli pitch is spicing up even more and Akash Deep and Shahbaz Ahmed are compounding Haryana's woes. After losing two wickets early, Yuvraj Singh, the opener, counterattacked. He struck four fours in his 29, adding 31 runs for the third wicket with Himanshu Rana. But he fell, and with him the floodgates opened.

Shahbaz got one to rip and turn big, sending back Yuvraj before Akash Deep struck again, dismissing Dheer Singh. Shahbaz then bowled Parth Vats with a skiddy arm ball as Haryana lost 3 for 2 in 2.2 overs before lunch.

An unfortunate dismissal for Mayank Agarwal, who drives Chahal uppishly but fiercely to silly point, where Jashanpreet Singh rises with the bounce, and the ball sticks. Agarwal can't believe how that catch has stuck, and he walks back cursing his luck.

Rahul, meanwhile goes on his merry ways, even bringing out the reverse sweep before reaching his fifty with a fierce sweep. However, Harpreet Brar soon sends him back with a peach. The ball lands on leg stump, turning away past Rahul's outside edge and sending his middle stump back. What a delivery to end what was looking like a fluent innings from Rahul.

Karnataka batted well but two moments of brilliance from Punjab have kept them in the game.

Sudip Kumar is finally dismissed for 86, lbw to Rana and has to make the long walk back. Bengal quickly collapse once Sudip falls, going from 189 for 6 to 193 all out. Rana picks up four wickets. Akash Deep, then steps up for Bengal. On a spicy Lahli deck, he gets the ball to move around. First gets rid of Ankit Kumar with a peach that pitches on middle and decks away late, rattling the Haryana captain's stumps. He then induces a thick outside edge off Ashish Siwach's blade with the keeper taking a good low catch.

KL Rahul is looking is solid touch against Punjab, with Karnataka rattling along at more than five runs an over. Rahul has already struck four fours and is going at a strike rate close to 80. He swept left-arm spinner Emanjot Singh Chahal before hitting Harpreet Brar for back to back fours. Agarwal has also been pretty aggressive, having struck six fours already with the duo bringing up a half-century stand in quick time.

It's been slow going for Mumbai on the second day, with Musheer Khan and Akhil Herwadkar taking their time. Nightwatcher Tushar Deshpande fell early, but Delhi to their credit have also kept the balls in the right areas.

Elsewhere, captain Hingrajia remains unbeaten on 150 as Gujarat are bowled out for 352 against Tripura. Priyesh recorded 52 while Jaymeet Patel struck 69, with Mura Singh returning 4 for 52.

Vidhyadhar Patil picks up his fourth wicket as Emanjot Chahal falls after a solid 83. Patil bowls one short and Chahal looking for a pull can only manage a top-edge going straight towards mid-off. So Punjab end up adding just six runs overnight. KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal walk out to bat. Rahul has already struck a neat boundary and Karnataka will want to take a nice, big lead.

Hello and welcome to the Ranji Trophy live blog from the second day. It was an intriguing day one, which saw Harsh Dubey pick up 6 for 27, while MP and Maharashtra shared the honours on a 12-wicket day. On a turner in Mohali, Punjab recovered from 168/6 to post 303 for 9 against Karnataka. In Lahli, Bengal ended on 157 for 5. Meanwhile, Mumbai bowled Delhi out for 221, and ended 13/1 at stumps.

Group A

If we all thought - I emphasis on 'we' because it includes me - that it'll be a walk in the park for Andhra, think again. Nagaland, the only team without a win in this group, have staged a sensational recovery from 59 for 4 to post 322 for 6 at stumps. The remarkable recovery was made possible thanks to Chetan Bist, who finishes 160 not out. Bist put on 167 for the fifth wicket with D Nischal, who made 74.

Vidarbha captain Harsh Dubey rises to the occasion in a must-win; his 6 for 37 helps bowl Uttar Pradesh out for 237. Vidarbha make a solid beginning, 33/0 to take the opening-day honours.

The one team that can ensure Vidarbha don't qualify, have been tested thorougly. Jharkhand hsve been key at bay as Odisha end on 242 for 6, courtesy half-centuries from Swastik Samal & Govinda Podder.

Group B

On an intense day in which 12 wickets fell, MP and Maharashtra shared the honours in what is a must-win game. Having been bowled out for 187, courtesy Rajvardhan Hangargekar's five-for, MP reduced Maharashtra to 52/2, dismissing both Prithvi Shaw and Arshin Kulkarni.

On a turner in Mohali, Punjab recovered from 168/6 to post 303 for 9 at stumps against Karnataka, who simply have to win. Emanjot Chahal is unbeaten on 77. Shreyas Gopal, the legspinner, and Vidyadhar Patil, the seamer, picked up three wickets apiece.

Having bundled out Chandigarh for 145, Saurashtra have powered ahead to end on 151 for 1. Jaydev Unadkat, the Saurashtra captain, was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 44. A Saurashtra win will make it that much harder for Karnataka if they don't win their game.

On a truncated day in Lahli, in a clash between the top two sides heavily favoured to progress, Bengal ended on 157 for 5. Sudip Chatterjee is unbeaten on 77; all Haryana bowlers shared the spoils equally. Bengal are already through, Haryana will get there with a drawn result, as long as Uttarakhand don't win outright.

In news they wouldn't want to hear, though, Uttarakhand have made a dominant start, finishing on 279 for 3 against Assam. Kunal Chandela is unbeaten on 128.

A lead will be enough to progress, but J&K look good for a lot more. They skittled Himachal for 168 courtesy a five-wicket haul by left-arm seamer Sunil Kumar. They ended strongly on 20/0.

In Mumbai, having already qualified, Mumbai bowled Delhi out for 221, and ended 13/1 at stumps. Seamer Mohit Awasthi picked up a five-for.

Four wickets for Saurashtra's inspirational captain, two apiece for Chetan Sakariya and Chirag Jani as they take giant steps towards a bonus-point win already. Having skittled Chandigarh for 136, Harvik and Jani have taken Saurashtra to 47/0.

A win here for Saurashtra opens up the group in ways unimaginable. All of MP, Maharashtra, Saurashtra and Karnataka are tussling for the two knockouts spots from Group B.

Jalaj Saxena, who went past 500 wickets in first-class cricket last week, isn't to be denied for long. He and Arshin Kulkarni, the seam-bowling allrounder, have picked up four wickets between them to slice through MP's lower order. Barring Venkatesh Iyer's 39 and Akshat Raghuwanshi's 25, there's hardly been any resistance of note for the hosts. MP 179/8.

His captaincy debut last week against Mumbai was forgettable, but Mohammed Siraj has enjoyed a better start to his second outing. Chhattisgarh are 261 for 8, with Siraj currently having figures of 4 for 49. This includes the wicket of top scorer Vikalp Tiwary for 94.

With just one win in six games, Hyderabad are out of knockouts contention. Chhattisgarh are third, and have a slim chance should they record a bonus-point win.

Mohit Awasthi's double-wicket over has dented Delhi big time.

And both are big wickets. That of Ayush Doseja, the captain, and Aryan Rana. Delhi are 148 for 4. Not long ago, they were cruising at 111 for 1.

This fixture between Bengal and Haryana could decide who tops Group C. Bengal currently lead with 30 points and are definitely through to the knockouts. Haryana are second with 24 points, with Uttarakhand on 22.

From 108/1, Shreyas Gopal and Mohsin Khan have spun a web on Punjab as they slip to 119/4. Abhijeet Garg, the opener, is going strong on 72 with Anmol Malhotra joining him in the middle. The two have taken Punjab to 142/4 at lunch.

Saurashtra have announced themselves, loud and clear.

Everyone is talking about Maharashtra v MP, Karnataka v Punjab as far as qualification goes, but Saurashtra are very much in this.

They've reduced hosts Chandigarh to 45 for 4.

So what must they do to qualify?

Well, for starters, win outright (ideally with a bonus point). Seven points from this match will take them to 26. And then they have to hope Karnataka don't win outright, because one of MP or Maharashtra will surely qualify.

Maharashtra's young seam-bowling sensation has rocked Madhya Pradesh's top order with a triple strike that has them reeling at 52 for 3. This includes the massive wicket of Rajat Patidar, their captain.

In a Group A fixture the defending champions simply have to win, Nachiket Bhute has given them an early breakthrough with the big wicket of Madhav Kaushik. UP 18/1 in nine overs. Aryan Juyal, the captain, joins Abhishek Goswami in the middle.

But how did Vidarbha get into must-win territory?

Well, a loss to Andhra last week in Anantapur has put them here. And it was a loss from a winnable position, courtesy Andhra's Shaikh Rasheed, whose century steered them home in a tricky chase.

And because Andhra have an eaiser outing against Nagaland, which many presume will end in their favour, Vidarbha have all to play for against Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi are 12/1 in the sixth over. Siddesh Lad is still captain, but the good news is Shardul Thakur will be back for the knockout stages.

Prasidh Krishna bowls an absolute peach that takes Saharan's edge, but wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna puts down a straightforward catch. Saharan adds insult to injury with a lovely flick through square leg.

That said, Karnataka have struck early with Prabhsimran Singh caught in the gully attempting an uppish drive off Vidyadhar Patil. Punjab are currently 15/1.

This is another Group B fixture of massive significance.

The winner will most certainly qualify for the knockouts. Maharashtra are currently group toppers, with three wins and 24 points. Having beaten Karnataka last week in Alur, Madhya Pradesh have jumped to No. 2, with 22 points. Karnataka are currently third with 21 points, and Saurashtra fourth with 19 points.