Ranji Trophy 2025-26, Quarterfinal: Bowlers give Uttarakhand upper hand over Jharkhand on day 1
Uttarakhand bowlers fired in unison to secure their side the upper hand against Jharkhand on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur on Friday.
Pacer Janmejay Joshi bagged a four-wicket haul while left-arm spinner Mayank Mishra and 18-year-old quick Aditya Rawat scalped three apiece as Uttarakhand toppled Jharkhand for just 235.
The 24-year-old Joshi utilised his tall frame to add a dash of extra bounce to his back-of-a-length deliveries to trouble the Jharkhand batters. He began the day by having both in-form opener Shikhar Mohan and No. 3 batter Manishi caught behind.
Ranji Trophy Quarterfinals, Day 1 – As it happened
Joshi was also the one to close off the Jharkhand innings with a two-wicket burst, which included the dismissal of Aditya Singh, whose fighting 83 held together the home team’s batting effort.
Aditya came to the middle right before Lunch, with his side tottering at 80 for five. This was right before Uttarakhand wrested control of the game through Rawat’s double blow. The 18-year-old had started the day in wayward fashion but found his range in his second spell to dislodge Kumar Kushagra and Robin Minz in back-to-back overs.
The 27-year-old Aditya’s arrival, though, sparked a shift in the narrative. He formed a crucial 90-run stand with skipper Virat Singh for the sixth wicket to counter Uttarakhand’s hard-earned momentum. The left-handed duo began by digging in deep, adding just 14 runs from the first 12 overs of the second session.
Also read | Karnataka bundles out Mumbai for just 120 on Day 1 of quarterfinal
Soon enough, Virat and Aditya picked up the pace as the away bowlers slowly began to err with their lengths. While the former preferred the late cuts to gather boundaries, the latter dealt in sweeps and cover drives.
But Uttarakhand reined in the home team’s revival in the final session. Virat fell three runs short of a well-deserved fifty after he played on against Rawat. Mishra added two more wickets to further the away team’s advantage, before Joshi completed his haul.
Uttarakhand wicketkeeper Saurabh Rawat had a flawless day behind the stumps, pouching four catches and making a few diving grabs to ensure a clean slate in the byes column.
Published on Feb 06, 2026
