Sarvate, Azharuddeen help Kerala salvage draw against MP

A rear-guard resistance spearheaded by Aditya Sarvate and wicketkeeper bat Muhammed Azharuddeen helped Kerala salvage a draw against Madhya Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy match and remain unbeaten in this year's campaign.

With the seven-run first-innings lead, the hosts pocketed three points, something unimaginable given earlier in the day when Kerala were reduced to 47 for 5 in 30.1 overs. They had started the final day at 28/1.

Azharuddeen came into the crease at the fall of captain Sachin Baby's wicket when the score was 37, closed one end when Jalaj Saxena joined him.

The mammoth target of 363 meant that a win was out of the equation. Even without the first innings hero Avesh Khan, who bowled only six overs in Kerala's second innings, MP had a decent medium pacer in Kuldeep Sen, left-arm spinner in Kumar Kartikeya Singh and an offie Saransh Jain.

Saxena, one of the three guest players in the squad, gave the wicketkeeper-batter solid company as they cobbled together a 74-run partnership to take Kerala 121 before the allrounder fell to Jain for 32.

Sarvate then joined Azharuddeen for the seventh wicket and took the fight to the opposition. The Vidarbha allrounder was the aggressor of the two, tonking two 6s and eight 4s in his 130-ball 80. Their 90-run partnership gave Kerala a real chance at saving the match.

But two quick setbacks, first Azharuddeen (68) and then Sarvate, within the 37-run gap, gave the hosts some tense moments.

Aparajith, who had retired hurt in the first innings, was the last recognised batter. But he held his nerves and, along with Nidheesh MD, survived 82 deliveries for the ninth wicket to hand Kerala a well-earned draw.

Brief scores
Kerala 167/9 & 268/8 (Azharuddeen 68, Sarvate 80, Saxena 32, Aparajith 26, Kuldeep Sen 3/64, Kartikeya Sen 3/106) drew with MP 160 & 369/8 decl.