Ranji Trophy Final: Mayank anchors Karnataka recovery to 144/4 at Tea on Day 3

Hubli — Veteran opener Mayank Agarwal led a determined fightback for Karnataka, guiding them to 144/4 at Tea on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy Final after early blows from Jammu and Kashmir threatened to derail their reply.

Chasing Jammu and Kashmir’s imposing 584, Karnataka resumed the post-lunch session at 35/1 but were rocked by a sharp burst of seam bowling on a responsive surface. Sunil Kumar struck early to remove Devdutt Padikkal, tightening the visitors’ grip.

The pressure intensified as Auqib Nabi Dar delivered a decisive spell. Having already dismissed KL Rahul before Lunch, he returned to claim Karun Nair and Smaran Ravichandran off successive balls, reducing Karnataka to 57/4 and putting them on the brink. Auqib’s ability to generate late movement and maintain relentless accuracy earned him figures of 3-30.

With collapse looming, Mayank produced an innings of calm authority. After negotiating the moving ball with care, he gradually imposed himself, using decisive footwork and controlled strokeplay to turn survival into steady scoring. He brought up a gritty half-century under pressure and continued to build with assurance.

At the other end, Shreyas Gopal offered solid support, showing patience and sound judgement. The pair rotated strike well and capitalised on loose deliveries to rebuild after the slump.

Mayank’s confidence grew as he found boundaries with measured drives and flicks, standing firm against Auqib’s continued threat. Despite a late scare when he was struck on the thigh and survived a review, he remained composed to reach Tea unbeaten on 86. Shreyas was steady on 25*, and their unbroken 87-run stand restored stability.

Karnataka, however, still trail by a sizeable margin and face the immediate task of batting deep to avoid the follow-on against a disciplined Jammu and Kashmir attack.

Brief Scores: Karnataka 144/4 (Mayank Agarwal 86*, Shreyas Gopal 25*; Auqib Nabi Dar 3-30) trail Jammu & Kashmir 584 (Shubham Pundir 121, Yawer Hassan 88, Sahil Lotra 72, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 70, Paras Dogra 70; Prasidh Krishna 5-98) by 440 runs.

With inputs from IANS