Hosts scent victory as MP begin chase shakily
Abhinav Tejrana's 69 helped Goa extend their lead beyond 300.
SCOREBOX
Goa 284 & 230 (Tejrana 69, Yadav 42, Harikant 40; Kartikeya 5/81, Arshad Khan 3/21)
Madhya Pradesh 187 & 21/1 (Gawli 14*; Koushik 1/3)
MP need 307 runs to win
PANAJI
Goa moved to the brink of a vital win on Day 3 of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B fixture against Madhya Pradesh at the GCA Academy Ground in Porvorim, setting a daunting 328-run target before reducing the visitors to 21/1 at stumps on Monday.
Madhya Pradesh began Day 3 on 181/7, still trailing by 103. Any hopes of a lower-order fightback were quickly extinguished as Goa wrapped up the innings for 187 in 76 overs. Aryan Pandey (25) fell lbw to Vasuki Koushik, who then removed Kumar Kartikeya first ball, before a sharp run-out from Abhinav Tejrana ended the innings with no further addition to the overnight score.
Koushik completed a brilliant five-wicket haul (5/34), while Lalit Yadav (2/27) and Arjun Tendulkar (2/34) chipped in, ensuring Goa claimed a valuable 97-run lead.
Goa’s second innings consolidated the advantage. Despite early setbacks — Suyash Prabhudessai (3) and Manthan Khutkar (16) falling inside the first 10 overs — Abhinav Tejrana produced a classy 69 off 101 balls, stabilising the innings with captain Snehal Kauthankar (23) and later with Lalit Yadav (42). The 78-run partnership between Abhinav and Lalit for the fourth wicket proved to be the cornerstone of Goa's innings. Towards the end, Rajashekhar Harikant hammered a quickfire 40 off 43 deliveries, pushing the hosts to 230 in 65.4 overs.
For MP, left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya led the resistance with 5/81, adding to his 3/88 from the first innings, while Arshad Khan claimed 3/21.
Requiring 328 to win, Madhya Pradesh faced a tense 10 overs before stumps. Goa struck early — Yash Dubey bowled by Koushik for 4 — leaving the visitors at 21/1. Harsh Gawli (14*) and Himanshu Mantri (2*) survived the final overs, but the challenge ahead remains daunting for the visitors.
With MP still 307 runs away, the hosts will head into Day 4 heavy favourites to close out a vital win in their bid to stay top of Group B. Madhya Pradesh, winless this season, will need a remarkable final-day batting effort to withstand Goa’s pressure and rescue the contest.
Goa use first concussion sub
In a first for the Goa team in Ranji Trophy history, Rajshekhar Harikant was brought in as a concussion substitute. The reserve wicketkeeper-batter replaced Samar Dubhashi, who was forced to retire hurt after being struck by a delivery from Kuldeep Sen.
