Kerala’s Dominance Unfolds: Baby and Aparajith Shine Against Madhya Pradesh on Day 3

Sachin Baby and Baba Aparajith forged a steady partnership to strengthen Kerala’s position in their Elite Group-B match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore on Tuesday. The pair batted for nearly a session and a half, amassing 144 runs with a blend of solid defense, sharp running, and elegant shot-making over 194 balls. This effort leaves Kerala in a commanding position, poised for an outright victory on the final day.

Madhya Pradesh resumed their innings relying on Saransh Jain and Aryan Pandey to extend the previous day’s partnership. However, Eden Apple Tom quickly thwarted those plans by claiming two wickets in successive deliveries, first removing Aryan with a delivery that nipped back onto the pad, followed by dismissing Mohammad Arshad Khan with a ball that skidded onto his front leg.

Sreehari Nair secured his maiden First-Class wicket, further trouble for Madhya Pradesh. With diminishing support, Saransh resorted to aggressive strokes but eventually succumbed, giving Kerala an 89-run lead.

In Kerala’s innings, Rohan Kunnummal was dismissed early, trapped in front by Kumar Kartikeya Singh. Although a third-innings collapse was a concern, a 68-run partnership between Abhishek J. Nair and Sachin Baby quelled those fears.

The pair initially edged a few deliveries but batted steadily afterward, maintaining a brisk run rate and dispatching loose balls without unnecessary risks. Baby’s cover drive against Arshad was a standout moment.

Nevertheless, Kerala missed the chance to decisively shut out the opposition. Abhishek was dismissed, edging a harmless ball from Kuldeep Sen, followed by captain Mohammed Azharuddeen holing out to long on off Saransh after a promotion up the order.

Subsequently, Baby and Aparajith took charge, exploiting a flattening pitch to dominate proceedings. They prevented Madhya Pradesh from regaining momentum, and as the hosts flagged in the field, their strokeplay became increasingly adventurous, finding the boundary more frequently.

Madhya Pradesh thought they had Baby caught behind late in the day, but a review showed the ball had bounced before reaching the gloves of Himanshu Mantri. With Baby and Aparajith still unbeaten, Kerala heads into the final day with a formidable 315-run lead and a strong position to dictate the match outcome.

The Scores

Kerala – 1st innings: 281
Madhya Pradesh – 1st innings: 192 (77.1 overs)

• Harsh Gawli lbw Nidheesh 21, Yash Dubey b Abhijith 0, Himanshu Mantri lbw Nidheesh 21, Shubham Sharma lbw Eden 10, Harpreet Singh Bhatia lbw Eden 0, Rishabh Chouhan c Imran b Aparajith 21, Saransh Jain c Kunnummal b Nidheesh 67, Aryan Pandey lbw Eden 36, Mohammad Arshad Khan lbw Eden 0, Kumar Kartikeya Singh b Sreehari 7, Kuldeep Sen (not out) 0; Extras: (b-5, lb-4): 9.
• Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-43, 3-60, 4-60, 5-73, 6-101, 7-160, 8-160, 9-179.

Kerala bowling: Nidheesh 23.1-2-55-3, Abhijith 9-2-12-1, Eden 16-2-55-4, Sreehari 17-3-46-1, Aparajith 9-3-12-1, Ankit 3-0-3-0.

Kerala – 2nd innings: 226 for three wickets in 64 overs

• Rohan Kunnummal lbw Kartikeya 7, Abhishek J. Nair c Chouhan b Kuldeep 30, Sachin Baby (batting) 85, Mohammed Azharuddeen c Harpreet b Saransh 2, Baba Aparajith (batting) 89; Extras (b-4, lb-5, nb-1, w-3): 13.
• Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-79, 3-82.

Madhya Pradesh bowling: Aryan 8-2-28-0, Kartikeya 17-3-45-1, Arshad 14-0-60-0, Saransh 13-1-42-1, Kuldeep 12-1-42-1.

Published on November 18, 2025