Thiruvanthapuram, Oct 15 : A flawless opening hour saw Kerala bowlers M.D. Nidheesh and N.P. Basil scythed through the Maharashtra top order with swing and bounce, putting the hosts in command at the end of the opening day's play in their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 clash at the Sports Hub, Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

After being reduced to a disastrous 18 for five, Maharashtra were pulled out of the mire by Ruturaj Gaikwad (91, 151b, 11x4) and Jalaj Saxena (49, 106b, 4x4), who combined to add 122 runs for the sixth wicket. Their partnership not only steadied the innings but also ensured that the visitors crossed the 150-run mark before bad light and rain forced early stumps with Maharashtra at 179 for seven, 37 minutes after tea.

Earlier, Kerala captain Mohammed Azharuddeen's decision to bowl first proved inspired. Nidheesh struck gold with the new ball, trapping Prithvi Shaw (0) lbw with a sharp inswinger in the very first over. Moments later, Siddesh Veer (0) feathered an edge to the keeper to leave Maharashtra reeling at 0 for two.

Basil joined the carnage, generating a steep bounce that caught Arshin Kulkarni (0) by surprise ' his edge was brilliantly pouched by Rohan Kunnummal at second slip. Basil then had skipper Ankit Bawne (0) chopping on, plunging the visitors into deeper trouble at 5 for 4.

With Nidheesh's inswing continuing to trouble the batters, Nawale too fell leg-before, making it 18 for five inside the first hour. That brought Jalaj Saxena, facing his former teammates, to the crease. Jalaj was positive from the outset, finding gaps and using his feet against spin, while Gaikwad settled into his rhythm with crisp drives and firm cuts. The pair frustrated Kerala's bowlers for nearly two sessions.

Gaikwad's composure stood out; he struck consecutive boundaries off Edhen to bring up his fifty and continued to pierce the gaps smartly. Just as Maharashtra seemed to regain control, Nidheesh trapped Jalaj lbw for 49, breaking the century stand. Soon after, Edhen, who recovered from an erratic first spell, got rid of Gaikwad ' the right-hander was a fraction late as the ball thudded into his pads.

With Vicky Ostwal (10*) and Ramakrishna Ghosh (11*) steadying things, light deteriorated rapidly, forcing the umpires to call it a day. The honours of the day, though, belonged to Kerala's opening bowlers, who tore through Maharashtra's top order before Gaikwad's valiant fightback saved the visitors from total collapse.

Karnataka vs Saurashtra

A blend of youthful ambition and seasoned composure was on full display as Devdutt Padikkal (96, 141b, 11x4) and Karun Nair (73, 126b, 9x4) orchestrated a vital 146-run third-wicket partnership, steering Karnataka into a strong position on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy opener against Saurashtra at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.

After electing to bat under clear skies, Karnataka were rocked early by the discipline of Saurashtra's pacers Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya. Skipper Mayank Agarwal and S. Nikin Jose found scoring difficult against the testing lines, and Dharmendra Jadeja's early introduction of spin proved decisive. The left-arm spinner struck in the 10th over to remove Mayank and added Nikin's wicket soon after, leaving Karnataka tottering at **26 for two.

At that point, Padikkal and Karun Nair showed remarkable maturity to rebuild. The duo began cautiously, focusing on strike rotation and punishing anything loose. Padikkal, in particular, mixed elegance with intent ' cutting and driving fluently once he settled in. Karun's experience came to the fore as he anchored the partnership, using soft hands and quick singles to defuse the pressure.

As the day wore on, the pair grew more confident. Both brought up their half-centuries in style, forcing the Saurashtra bowlers onto the back foot. However, just as Padikkal looked set for a century, Jadeja struck again, trapping Karun plumb in front and later castling Padikkal for 96 ' his fourth wicket of the day.

Later, K.L. Shrijith fell cheaply, but R. Smaran (66*, 120b, 4x4, 2x6) and Shreyas Gopal (38*, 69b, 2x4, 2x6) added an unbeaten 81-run stand* for the sixth wicket to take Karnataka to 295 for five at stumps. The partnership gave the visitors a sense of control after the early wobble, ensuring they ended the day well placed.

Shami stars in Bengal vs Uttarakhand clash

A dramatic late burst from Mohammed Shami, who claimed three wickets in an over, helped Bengal bowl out Uttarakhand for 213 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy fixture at Eden Gardens.

For much of the day, Bengal's bowling honours belonged to Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal (19-4-54-4) and Ishan Porel (15-3-40-3). Shami, returning to red-ball action after the Duleep Trophy, looked off-rhythm in the first two sessions but turned it on spectacularly in his 15th over to clean up the tail and wrap up the innings.

Opting to bowl first on a grassy surface, Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran* deployed a four-man pace attack ' Shami, Akash Deep, Porel, and Jaiswal. The first breakthrough came from Porel, who had *Avneesh Sudha caught at second slip by Anustup Majumdar. Jaiswal followed up with a peach of an outswinger to remove Prashant Chopra, and later, he bowled Uttarakhand skipper Kunal Chandela (7) to leave the visitors at 76 for three at lunch.

After the break, Bhupen Lalwani (71) tried to rebuild, sharing a 54-run stand with Yuvraj Singh, but Bengal's seamers kept striking at regular intervals. Jaiswal and Porel struck in tandem to dismantle the middle order, before Shami, reintroduced from the High Court End, cleaned up No. 9, 10, and 11 in quick succession.

In reply, Bengal's chase began shakily as Easwaran was dismissed off the first ball, caught behind off Devendra Bora. At stumps, Bengal were 8 for 1, with Sudip Gharami (7*) and Sudip Chatterjee (1*) unbeaten, trailing by 205 runs.

Tamil Nadu vs Jharkhand

Ishan Kishan roared back into first-class form with a defiant, counterattacking unbeaten 125 off 183 balls, rescuing Jharkhand from a precarious situation on Day 1 of their Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu at Chepauk.

At one stage, Jharkhand were struggling, having lost half their side before crossing 160, but Kishan's aggressive intent and positive strokeplay turned the tide. Alongside Sahil Raj (64, unbeaten), the wicketkeeper-batter stitched a 150-run unbroken stand for the seventh wicket, guiding his team to 307 for six at stumps.

Tamil Nadu's bowlers had dominated the morning session. Gurjapneet Singh, the left-arm seamer, made early inroads and ended with three wickets, while D.T. Chandrasekar, returning to Ranji cricket after nearly a decade, used flight and drift effectively to pick up two crucial wickets.

But once Kishan found his rhythm, the momentum shifted. He drove through the covers, swept the spinners cleanly, and reached his century with a powerful pull through midwicket. His composure and counterattack ensured that Jharkhand not only recovered but finished the day in a position of strength heading into Day 2.

/IANS