For some time it resembled a T20 match when Kerala openers P. Rahul (66 not out) and Rohan Kunnummal (40) plundered sixes and fours at will towards the hapless Chhattisgarh spinners.
Chasing 126 for a win on the ultimate day, the overtly aggressive Kerala openers sealed the competition within the first hour after including 81 runs off 63 balls.
The host, after a slight blip, romped house by seven wickets to beat Chhattisgarh and registered its second win within the Ranji Trophy on the KCA-St.Xavier’s Cricket floor in Thumba on Friday.
The openers began in contrasting types, with Rahul taking over the spinners with a flurry of boundaries whereas Rohan performed the second fiddle.
But quickly, Rohan discovered the timing which had abandoned him within the first innings and performed freely. However, the batter threw his wicket away after hitting left-arm spinner Ajay Mandal for 2 successive sixes. After seeing Rohan step out for the third time, Ajay dropped the supply brief and had him stumped by wicketkeeper Hussain.
Chhattisgarh loved uncommon moments of success within the morning when Sumit Ruikar (1) had Sachin Baby edging a catch to Khare at brief leg and off the very subsequent ball the off-spinner dropped a return catch provided by Akshay Chandran.
Rahul duly accomplished his half-century whilst Akshay Chandran (10) fell when Kerala was two runs away from victory. Rahul swept Ajay for a pair to finish the seven-wicket win.
Kerala coach Tinu Yohanan was happy with the win and praised the boys for exhibiting character on wicket. “It is a brand new starting for us and I’m pleased with the way in which the boys fought again within the match. Looking again, taking seven wickets within the first session on the primary day made an enormous distinction. I feel contemplating their inexperience, medium pacers F.Fanoos and N.P.Basil bowled nicely. Jalaj Saxena was excellent and Vaisakh Chandran additionally bowled nicely. We will certainly miss Sanju for the subsequent match. He has been an enormous affect as captain and as a batter. But it’s as much as the boys to seize their probabilities and carry out,’‘ he mentioned.