Opener Shubham Khajuria cracked 202 (368b, 17×4, 8×6) and was involved in a 223-run fifth-wicket partnership with Sahil Lotra (107, 192b, 9×4, 2×6) as Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) declared its first innings on 587 for nine, securing a 309-run lead against Chhattisgarh on day three of the Group-D match in the first round of the Buchi Babu Memorial all-India invitational cricket tournament at the N.P.R. College cricket ground in Natham on Saturday.
In Group-A, Aniket Verma’s 110 (109b, 6×4, 7×6) helped Madhya Pradesh (MP) get to 238 in its second innings against Jharkhand at the ICL Sankar Nagar ground in Tirunelveli. Chasing 175, Jharkhand ended the day on 37 for one. Earlier, medium-pacer Parush Mandal (MP) finished with five for 42 as Jharkhand was bowled out for 289 for a 64-run first-innings lead.
The scores (first round, day three): Group-A: At Tirunelveli: Madhya Pradesh 225 & 238 in 63.3 overs (Aniket Verma 110) vs. Jharkhand 289 in 88.4 overs (Ishan Kishan 114, Parush Mandal 5/42) & 37/1 in 15 overs.
Group-B (At Salem): Indian Railways 570 & 135/5 decl. in 23 overs (Shivam Chaudhary 49) vs. Gujarat 227 in 70.3 overs (Manan Hingrajia 65, Het Patel 43) & 91/4 in 31 overs.
Group-C (At Coimbatore): Haryana 419 vs. Mumbai 245 in 92 overs (Akhil Herwadkar 55) & 83/2 in 46 overs.
Group-D (At Natham): Chhattisgarh 278 & 46/2 in 14 overs vs. Jammu & Kashmir 587/9 decl. in 156 overs (Shubham Khajuria 202, Abdul Samad 58, Paras Dogra 73, Sahil Lotra 107, Yudhvir Singh 45, Utkarsh Tiwari 4/186).