Jammu and Kashmir`s Shubham Khajuriastruck a fighting, unbeaten century to rescue North Zone, but South Zone remained favourites to progress to the , here on Saturday.
In reply to South Zone`s imposing first-innings total of 536, North Zone ended day three of the semifinal at 278/5, still trailing by 258 runs. The task of avoiding a first-innings deficit now rests heavily on Khajuria, who carried his bat for 128 not out from 245 balls (20×4, 1×6).
North`s innings began poorly with captain Ankit Kumar trapped leg-before by Gurjapneet Singh in the sixth over, and promising Yash Dhull (14) also fell cheaply, leaving the side wobbling at 38/2 in the first half an hour`s play. Ayush Badoni (40) offered some resistance, putting on 63 with Khajuria, but was dismissed by MD Nidheesh as North were reduced to 101/3.
Khajuria then found solid support in Haryana`s spin bowling all-rounder Nishant Sindhu (82), and together they stitched the day`s most important partnership of 171 runs for the fourth wicket. The pair dominated the second session, denying South a breakthrough as Khajuria raised his half-century off 107 balls and Sindhu played fluently at the other end.
Rain briefly interrupted play with Khajuria on 97 and Sindhu on 71 but on resumption, the Jammu & Kashmir opener reached his eighth first-class hundred off 204 balls. Sindhu, who had earlier taken five wickets with his left-arm spin in South`s innings, was eventually dismissed for 82 (148 balls) as Gurjapneet claimed his third wicket. South struck again late in the day, running out wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan for a duck. But Khajuria remained firm, closing the day unbeaten, giving North Zone a slender hope, though the deficit of 258 runs looms large heading into the final day.
Brief Scores:
South Zone 1st Innings: 536. North Zone 1st Innings: 278/5 in 79 overs (Shubham Khajuria 128 batting, Nishant Sindhu 82, Ayush Badoni 40; Gurjapneet Singh 3/67, MD Nidheesh 1/58).