Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Mukesh, Saxena keep Maharashtra in hunt against Karnataka despite Agarwal’s heroics on Day 3
The third day of a Ranji Trophy league game often drifts toward dull attrition, but Monday’s play at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium was anything but ordinary. With both Maharashtra and Karnataka desperate for six points, the penultimate day of this Group B clash turned into a gripping battle — and set up a tantalising finale.
The day saw Maharashtra’s lower order nearly wipe out Karnataka’s first-innings advantage before two flashes of brilliance in the field handed the visitors a slender 13-run lead. By stumps, Karnataka was 144 for five, leading by 157 runs, with skipper Mayank Agarwal (64 n.o., 145b, 6×4 ) once again holding the fort in search of a lifeline for his team.
Resuming 113 runs behind Karnataka’s 313, Maharashtra’s overnight pair Jalaj Saxena and Vicky Ostwal started brightly. Saxena punished anything loose, and the duo added vital runs before Vidwath Kaverappa finally found the edge, Ostwal nicking to slips. Saxena, unflappable till then, perished for a fluent 76 when he overreached for a cover drive and popped up a catch to Mohsin Khan at covers — a superb diving effort that turned the tide.
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Mohsin, with the ball, soon accounted for Rajneesh Gurbani, as Karun Nair pocketed a simple catch at slips. Ramakrishna Ghosh counterattacked, but his adventurous running cost Maharashtra dearly. In a bid to retain strike, he pushed for a risky second run, only for Abhinav Manohar to swoop in from sweeper-cover and hit the stumps directly — leaving Ghosh well short of his crease in the first over of the 30-minute morning session extension.
In Karnataka’s second innings, Maharashtra’s bowling pair of Mukesh Choudhary and Saxena continued their relentless rhythm. Choudhary’s delivery that sent K.L. Shrijith’s off-stump cartwheeling was a standout moment, while Saxena’s late strike — removing nightwatcher Abhilash Shetty with just two balls left — ensured Maharashtra ended the day with momentum.
With Karnataka’s lead only 157 and five wickets remaining, the final day promises a tight finish — one where every run, and every spell, will count.
The scoreboard:
Karnataka – 1st innings: 313
Maharashtra – 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw c Aneesh b Mohsin 71, Arshin Kulkarni st Shrijith b Shreyas 34, Siddhesh Veer st Shrijith b Shreyas 0, Ankeet Bawane b Shreyas 6, Sachin Dhas lbw b Mohsin 21, Saurabh Nawale 26, Jalaj Saxena c Mohsin b Kaverappa 72, Vicky Ostwal c Smaran b Kaverappa 20, Ramakrishna Ghosh (run out/ Abhinav) 36, Rajneesh Gurbani c Karun b Mohsin 1, Mukesh Choudhary (not out) 0; Extras (b-6, lb-5, nb-1, w-1): 13; Total (in 99.2 overs): 300.
Fall of wickets: 1-98, 2-100, 3-112, 4-114, 5-139, 6-183, 7-256, 8-282, 9-292.
Karnataka bowling: Kaverappa 18-0-74-2, Abhilash 7-0-35-0, Shreyas 35-5-70-4, Venkatesh 8-1-46-0, Mohsin 31.2-4-64-3.
Karnataka – 2nd innings: Aneesh K.V. c Arshin b Ostwal 17, Mayank Agarwal (batting) 64, K.L. Shrijith b Choudhary 29, Karun Nair c Ghosh b Choudhary 15, R. Smaran lbw b Choudhary 4, Abhilash Shetty lbw b Saxena 4.
Extras (b-9, lb-1, w-1): 11
Total (for five wickets in 49.4 overs): 144.
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-98, 3-131, 4-135, 5-144.
Maharashtra bowling: Choudhary 18-2-70-3, Ghosh 6-1-10-0, Saxena 16.4-1-36-1, Ostwal 9-5-18-1.
Published on Nov 10, 2025
