VADODARA, OCT 27: Priyanshu Moliya struck a monumental unbeaten triple century as Baroda piled up a commanding 616 in their first innings against Jammu and Kashmir in the Ranji Trophy Group A encounter at the Reliance Cricket Stadium, exposing vulnerabilities in J&K’s bowling attack.
Resuming the day at 259 for six, Baroda’s middle and lower order staged a remarkable recovery, transforming a competitive position into a formidable first-innings total. Moliya anchored the innings with an outstanding 321 not out off 492 balls, including 36 fours and a six, combining remarkable patience with authoritative strokeplay in a marathon knock.
Bowling all-rounder Mahesh Pithiya provided equally valuable support, scoring 102 off 214 deliveries, with six fours and two sixes. His century strengthened Baroda’s grip on the contest and helped frustrate the J&K bowlers, who struggled to break through consistently.
The most significant late contribution came from Rasikh Salam, who hammered 47 off just 53 balls, striking five boundaries and a six. Salam and Moliya stitched together a crucial 145-run partnership, adding valuable runs towards the end of the innings and pushing Baroda beyond the 600-run mark.
Earlier, openers Dhruv Patel and Shivalik Sharma contributed 21 and 29 respectively, providing a useful platform for the subsequent middle- and lower-order resistance.
For Jammu and Kashmir, Sahil Lotra emerged as the leading wicket-taker, claiming four wickets for 160 runs in 39 overs. Umar Nazir and Vanshaj Sharma picked up two wickets each, while Sunil Kumar and Rohit Sharma took one wicket apiece. However, the bowling unit found it difficult to contain Moliya and Pithiya as Baroda capitalised on the opportunity to build a massive total.
J&K were without the services of Auqib Nabi during the day, a notable absence as the side struggled to contain Baroda’s batting surge.
In reply, Jammu and Kashmir reached 6 without loss at stumps, with Shubham Khajuria unbeaten on two and Qamran Iqbal yet to open his account. The visitors now face the challenge of negotiating Baroda’s substantial first-innings total while attempting to establish a solid foundation in their reply.
Moliya’s monumental innings and Pithiya’s century have placed Baroda in a commanding position, leaving J&K with considerable work ahead. The contest will test the visitors’ batting resilience as they look to respond to a total built on patience, partnerships and sustained pressure.
