KV Aneesh led Karnataka’s batting charge with an unbeaten 142, while Aneshwar Gautam (83) and Manvanth Kumar (53*) chipped in with half-centuries as the team dominated Assam on Day 2. Karnataka batted through the day to reach 496/5 at stumps, extending their first-innings lead to 361 runs.
Uttar Pradesh openers Adarsh Singh (96*) and Madhav Kaushik (90*) put together a strong response after Baroda posted 355 in their first innings. The duo batted for 55 overs without being separated, taking UP to a commanding position by the end of the day.
In Nagpur, Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar led the recovery with a century after his side had slipped to 56/4 overnight. No. 8 batter Nachiket Bhute also made a significant contribution, scoring 97 off 111 balls, with six fours and five sixes, to help Vidarbha secure a healthy first-innings lead. Wadkar had to retire hurt after completing his century.
Defending champions Jammu & Kashmir received a strong response from their openers after their bowlers allowed Puducherry to reach 385, adding to their overnight score of 261/6. Qamran Iqbal (68*) and Shubham Khajuria (80*) remained unbeaten at the crease as J&K finished the day in a promising position.
Punjab piled on the runs against Andhra, with three batters registering centuries. Sanvir Singh doubled his overnight score of 100 not out, while Salil Arora struck 144 and Emanjot Singh Chahal scored 122 off 150 balls, including seven fours and nine sixes. Salil went on to make 205 off 375 deliveries, hitting 22 fours. No. 10 batter Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa added an unbeaten 38 as Punjab declared at 592/9.
Gujarat also had a double-centurion on Day 2, with Urvil Patel dominating the proceedings against Kerala. He remained unbeaten on 210 off 227 balls, striking 17 fours and six sixes, while Vishal Jayswal contributed 77. Gujarat declared their innings at 534/9.
Delhi found some resistance through Ayush Doseja and Sumit Mathur after being put under pressure by Services, who had scored 266 in their first innings. Doseja made a composed 78, while No. 7 batter Mathur remained unbeaten on 80 to help Delhi fight back.
Uttarakhand opener Dega Nischal produced a marathon effort, remaining unbeaten on 148 after facing 376 deliveries (62.4 overs). His knock was particularly significant given that Haryana had managed only 153 in their first innings in Dehradun.
Rajasthan opener Rohan Rajbar (140) and Mahipal Lomror (97) helped restore some stability in the high-scoring contest against Himachal Pradesh. After both teams were bowled out on the opening day, Rajasthan’s batters put together a much more measured effort on Day 2 to take their lead to 222 runs.
Mumbai moved from their overnight score of 247/6 to 396 against Railways, with Akash Anand and Shams Mulani making valuable half-centuries.
Tamil Nadu also enjoyed a productive day with the bat. Pradosh Ranjan Paul completed his double-century, while No. 7 batter Ajith Ram scored a century to take the team to 571/7. Captain Sai Kishore then declared the innings.
Best bowling performances
Tripura’s spin duo of Parvez Sultan and Sandip Sarkar dismantled Saurashtra’s batting line-up after their side posted 268 in the first innings. Left-arm orthodox spinner Sultan claimed five wickets, while off-spinner Sarkar picked up four as Saurashtra were bowled out for just 118.
Goa also gained a strong foothold against Bihar, thanks to contributions from both young and experienced bowlers. Nineteen-year-old off-spinner Yash Kasavankar and 34-year-old Vasuki Kaushik picked up three wickets each to dismiss Bihar for 107. Goa enforced the follow-on after taking a substantial first-innings lead.
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja claimed five wickets for 84 runs as Chhattisgarh kept Hyderabad under pressure on Day 2. Chhattisgarh added only five runs to their overnight total of 279/7 before being bowled out. Jadeja then led the bowling effort as Hyderabad reached 275/9 at stumps, still trailing by nine runs.
