Cricket

India's pace spearhead Prasidh Krishna's fitness concerns have resurfaced after he sat out the third day of Karnataka's Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore. The 28-year-old, who was recently named as a traveling reserve for India's upcoming Test series against New Zealand, had bowled only eight overs on the opening day of the match.Krishna's absence on day three raised eyebrows, especially considering his recent injury history. He had missed eight months of action due to a quadriceps injury sustained in January during Karnataka's previous Ranji Trophy match against Gujarat.Sources close to the team indicate that Krishna experienced some discomfort while running on the rain-battered outfield at the Holkar Stadium. The outfield conditions were challenging for all players, leading to the cancellation of an entire day's play on Saturday.Krishna's fitness is a major concern for the Indian team management ahead of their five-match tour of Australia starting late next month. The speedster is highly rated by the Indian think-tank, and his form and physical well-being are crucial for India's chances in the upcoming series.Karnataka missed Krishna's services badly on day three, as they struggled to bowl out Madhya Pradesh and secure the first-innings lead. The match is now evenly poised, with both teams having a chance to win.Krishna's fitness will be closely monitored in the coming days. If he is unable to recover in time for the Test series against New Zealand, it could force the Indian team to make a late change to their squad.

Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh played to a stalemate on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C encounter at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. The hosts, after being asked to bat first, reached 232 for four from 83 overs, with Harpreet Singh Bhatia's unbeaten 75 (164b, 8x4) being the highlight.Overnight rain provided some assistance to the bowlers, and Karnataka's Prasidh Krishna struck early, trapping Himanshu Mantri (0) in front in the second over. However, the outfield was slightly soggy, which seemed to affect the Karnataka fielders, who were hesitant in going for many a ball.MP's batters were patient for the most part, but a rush of blood cost Subhransu Senapati (28, 61b, 4x4) his wicket, as he miscued a pull off Vyshak to be caught by wicketkeeper Sujay Sateri. Yash Dubey (20, 76b, 2x4) was adjudged caught behind, down the leg-side, off left-arm spinner Hardik Raj, a decision the batter wasn't too happy with.Harpreet combined for crucial half-century partnerships with Shubham Sharma (40, 88b, 2x4) and Rajat Patidar (31, 61b, 3x4), which propped up the innings. Harpreet, a veteran of 75 First Class matches, showcased his pressure-handling skills when faced with some tight bowling.Post-tea, Venkatesh Iyer brought in some urgency (25, 46b, 2x6). As the sun broke through for the first time, Venkatesh bloomed, launching leggie Shreyas Gopal over mid-wicket for a maximum and then dancing down the track to hammer V. Koushik straight down the ground.Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal impressed with a couple of diving saves, while an intruder ran in to click a selfie with Patidar but had to be content with a handshake after the on-field umpire's intervention.The match is evenly poised heading into day two, with both teams having a chance to take control of the contest.

In the ongoing Buchi Babu Memorial all-India invitational cricket tournament, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) has taken a commanding lead against Chhattisgarh in the Group-D match. On day three, J&K declared their first innings on 587 for nine, securing a 309-run lead.Opener Shubham Khajuria played a marathon innings, scoring 202 runs off 368 deliveries, including 17 fours and 8 sixes. He shared a crucial 223-run fifth-wicket partnership with Sahil Lotra (107 off 192 balls, 9 fours, 2 sixes).In response, Chhattisgarh managed to score only 46 for two in their second innings, trailing by 263 runs.Meanwhile, in Group-A, Madhya Pradesh (MP) is in a strong position against Jharkhand. Aniket Verma's 110 (109 balls, 6 fours, 7 sixes) helped MP reach 238 in their second innings. Jharkhand, chasing 175, ended the day on 37 for one.Earlier, MP's medium-pacer Parush Mandal claimed five wickets for 42 runs, bowling out Jharkhand for 289 in their first innings, giving MP a 64-run lead.In other matches, Indian Railways declared their first innings on 570 and then scored 135 for five in their second innings against Gujarat in Group-B. Haryana declared their first innings on 419 and Mumbai responded with 83 for two in Group-C.

Vidarbha tightened their grip on their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Madhya Pradesh, inching closer to a thrilling victory in Nagpur on March 5. With just four wickets remaining, the hosts are poised to set up a date in the summit clash with Mumbai.Madhya Pradesh, chasing 321 to win, reached 228 for six at stumps on day four. Their hopes of reaching their second final in three years suffered a major blow when Aditya Sarwate (2/51) dismissed Yash Dubey (94) in the penultimate over of the day.Dubey had played a valiant knock, consuming 212 balls and hitting 10 fours. He forged a crucial 106-run stand with Harsh Gawali (67), but once they were separated, Vidarbha kept making inroads.Madhya Pradesh lost first-innings centurion Himanshu Mantri for a mere eight in the second essay. The failure of their middle-order trio of Sagar Solanki (12), Shubham Sharma (6), and Venkatesh Iyer (19) further hurt their cause.Akshay Wakhare was the star for Vidarbha, accounting for these three batters. Sarwate's late strike to dismiss Dubey put the two-time winners in the pole position.Earlier in the day, Vidarbha added 59 runs to their overnight score of 343 for six, setting a target of 321 for Madhya Pradesh. Yash Rathod brought up his century and finished with a high score of 141, hitting 18 fours and two sixes.For Madhya Pradesh, Anubhav Agarwal returned 5/92. Madhya Pradesh had taken a lead of 82 runs in the first innings, responding with 252.

Vidarbha's Yash Rathod's unbeaten 97 and Akshay Wadkar's 77 propelled the team to a commanding position in their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Madhya Pradesh. Resuming on 13 for one, Vidarbha lost nightwatchman Akshay Wakhare early but Dhruv Shorey and Aman Mokhade steadied the innings with an 84-run stand.However, left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya broke the partnership, and Vidarbha found themselves in trouble at 161 for five. Enter Rathod and Wadkar, who forged a crucial 158-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Rathod, playing in only his seventh First-Class game, showed maturity beyond his years, while Wadkar provided solid support.The pitch, which had been lively in the first two days, seemed to have eased out, allowing Rathod and Wadkar to play with confidence. They exploited the conditions to pile on runs, leaving the MP bowlers frustrated.Towards the end of the day, Wadkar fell to pacer Anubhav Agarwal, but Rathod remained unbeaten on 97. Vidarbha ended the day on 343 for six, leading by a handy 261 runs.Rathod's innings was a testament to his talent and determination. The 22-year-old has been in impressive form this season, and his knock in this crucial match has further enhanced his reputation.With two days remaining in the match, Vidarbha will be confident of pushing for a victory. Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, will need to find a way to break the Rathod-led resistance and get back into the contest.

Himanshu Mantri's masterful century propelled Madhya Pradesh to a commanding position in their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha. Resuming on 47 for one, Mantri anchored the innings with a patient and technically sound knock of 126 off 265 deliveries. His innings, studded with 13 boundaries and a six, proved crucial as Madhya Pradesh gained an 82-run lead in the first innings.Mantri's knock was a testament to his resilience and adaptability. Despite losing his opening partner early, he forged a solid partnership with Harsh Gawli, extending their alliance to 61 runs. However, Vidarbha's pacers struck back, dismissing Gawli and two more batsmen in quick succession.Undeterred, Mantri found support in Sagar Solanki, adding 42 runs for the fifth wicket. He then combined with Saransh Jain for a crucial 73-run stand, taking Madhya Pradesh past Vidarbha's first innings total.As the pitch eased out, spinners Aditya Sarwate and Akshay Wakhare posed some challenges. However, Mantri's skill and experience allowed him to counter their threats effectively. He reached his century with a quick single off Wakhare, celebrating the milestone with a roar.Unfortunately, Mantri's dismissal soon after, along with Jain's, halted Madhya Pradesh's progress. However, their contributions had already laid the foundation for a strong lead.In their second innings, Vidarbha lost Atharva Taide early, trailing by 69 runs at stumps. The match remains finely poised, with Madhya Pradesh holding a significant advantage but Vidarbha still in contention.

Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh, two formidable teams in Indian domestic cricket, will clash in the first semifinal of the Ranji Trophy at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on Saturday. Vidarbha, riding high on their quarterfinal victory over Karnataka, will aim to deny MP a second final appearance in three years.MP, under the guidance of former Vidarbha coach Chandrakant Pandit, scraped a narrow four-run win against Andhra to reach the semifinals. Pandit's presence adds an intriguing subplot to the contest, as he led Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji Trophy titles in 2017/18 and 2018/19.MP's batting has been led by Himanshu Mantri and Yash Dubey, who have both scored over 500 runs this season. However, their middle-order has been inconsistent, with Venkatesh Iyer often bailing them out of trouble. Iyer, a left-handed all-rounder, has scored 528 runs at a strike rate of 82.28.Vidarbha, on the other hand, will rely on Atharva Taide, who scored a century against Karnataka in the quarterfinals. Imports Dhruv Shorey and Karun Nair will also be key contributors to their batting. Captain Akshay Wadkar has also been in good form, scoring six half-centuries.In the bowling department, MP will look to Kumar Kartikeya, their leading wicket-taker with 38 scalps. Avesh Khan and Kulwant Khejroliya will provide support with their pace bowling. Vidarbha's bowling attack is led by Aditya Sarwate, who has taken 37 wickets this season.The match promises to be a close contest between two evenly matched teams. Vidarbha will be looking to reach their first Ranji Trophy final since 2018, while MP will be aiming to repeat their title triumph of 2022.