Kerala asserted their dominance on a rain-interrupted opening day of the Ranji Trophy cricket match against Punjab at the KCA-St. Xavier’s College ground. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Punjab found themselves in a precarious position, collapsing to 62 for five wickets.
Aditya Sarwate, making his debut for Kerala, played a pivotal role in Punjab’s early struggles. The left-arm spinner sent back opener Abhay Choudhary off the very first ball of the innings, setting the tone for the day. Sarwate continued his impressive performance, dismissing Naman Dhir and Punjab captain Prabhsimran Singh, leaving the visitors reeling at 37/3.
Punjab managed a brief recovery, with Ramandeep Singh and Krish Bhagat putting on a fighting sixth-wicket stand of 32 runs. Ramandeep, particularly, showed some aggression, hitting a six over long on off Jalaj Saxena and driving Sarwate through the covers for a boundary. However, their efforts were not enough to completely turn the tide.
The day was marred by persistent showers, which began during the lunch break and continued well into the third session. The umpires were forced to call off play at 4:00 PM, leaving Punjab with much work to do on the second day.
With a commanding lead and favorable weather conditions predicted for the next few days, Kerala will be looking to build on their strong start and secure a comfortable victory.
