Khare’s 156 puts Chhattisgarh on top, match ends in draw

Srinagar, Nov 4: Skipper Amandeep Khare’s monumental 156 powered Chhattisgarh to a commanding first-innings lead as their Ranji Trophy Elite Group encounter against Jammu and Kashmir ended in a draw at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, on Monday.

Resuming the day at 297/6, Chhattisgarh frustrated the J&K bowlers with a remarkable lower-order resistance, eventually declaring at 505/9 in 168.2 overs, gaining a 111-run lead over J&K’s first-innings total of 394.

Khare, who began the morning on 73, anchored the innings with a marathon knock that spanned 313 deliveries and included 15 fours. He shared a 149-run stand with A.A. Sarvate (79 off 149) for the seventh wicket, a partnership that completely turned the tide in Chhattisgarh’s favour. Later, A.A. Khan (49) added further frustration for J&K’s bowlers as the hosts extended their lead beyond the 100-run mark.

For J&K, it was a long and testing outing in the field. Vanshaj Sharma toiled hard for 3/110 from 49.2 overs, while Auqib Nabi (2/90), Abid Mushtaq (1/103), and Umar Nazir (2/77) tried to break the resistance but were met with determined batting.

After the declaration, play meandered towards an inevitable draw, with little time left for either side to push for a result. Despite the outcome, J&K’s strong batting show in the first innings and Chhattisgarh’s fighting response made it an evenly contested affair.