Mohammed Azharuddeen’s Unbeaten 149 Puts Kerala in Command Against Gujarat

Kerala: 418/7 (Azharuddeen 149, Baby 69, Nagwaswalla 3-64) vs Gujarat*

Mohammed Azharuddeen ended a seven-year wait for his second first-class century, crafting a patient and unbeaten 149 that put Kerala in a strong position against Gujarat on a flat surface in Ahmedabad.

Kerala’s batting approach on the second day mirrored their cautious play from the first, as they added 212 runs to their overnight total of 206/4. Their slow and steady progress indicated a clear strategy—to bat just once in their bid to reach their first-ever Ranji Trophy final.

The day started on a shaky note for Kerala as Sachin Baby fell on the second delivery, caught in the slips by Aarya Desai off left-arm seamer Arzan Nagwaswalla. However, what followed was a long period of frustration for Gujarat, as Azharuddeen and Salman Nizar dug in for the next 62 overs.

Nizar, who had impressive form coming into this match with scores of 112, 44, and 150**, continued his good run, and together with Azharuddeen, he put on 149 runs for the sixth wicket. Gujarat had a rare opportunity to break the stand when Azharuddeen was on 74, but they failed to review a strong lbw appeal against him off Nagwaswalla. Replays later showed that the ball had pitched in line and was hitting the stumps.

The partnership finally ended when Nizar was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Vishal Jayswal. Debutant Ahammed Imran made an impressive start to his first-class career by driving his very first delivery to the cover boundary. He went on to score 24 before edging behind late in the day, giving Nagwaswalla his third wicket.

By stumps, Azharuddeen and Aditya Sarwate ensured there were no further setbacks, keeping Kerala’s hopes of crossing the 500-run mark alive. Gujarat’s bowling attack looked exhausted, aware that they would need a huge batting effort to stay in the contest.