Porvorim: On a track proving to be challenging by the day, Goa are in with a strong chance of beating Madhya Pradesh on the fourth and final day of their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 Elite Group B match at GCA Academy ground here on Tuesday. The visitors were 21/1 at the end of Day 3 and need 307 runs to win the match.
On a day where batting was a tough task and 14 wickets went down, Goa were all out for 230 runs with Abhinav Tejrana emerging the top rungetter with 69 runs off 101 balls, which included 8 fours and a six. There were important contributions by Lalit Yadav (42) and comeback-man Rajshekhar Harikant, the concussion substitute wicketkeeper, hammering a crucial 40-run cameo with the help of 5 boundaries and 2 sixes.
Abhinav and Lalit raised 78 runs for the fourth wicket after a shaky start for Goa as the ball kept low and spinners extracted turn to keep the batters on their toes. After Abhinav’s dismissal on a ball that kept very low, there was a mini collapse and it was Rajshekhar’s power hitting that provided the late impetus to the hosts as he combined with last man Koushik (5 not out off 19 balls) for the 10th-wicket stand of 37 runs off 51 balls. MP left-arm spinner Kumar Kartikeya Singh picked up 5/81.
With the addition of the 97-run lead that Goa earned after having bowled out MP for 187 runs early in the morning, the hosts would feel the target of 328 is defendable in terms of earning an outright win to hold their top position in Group B.
The day also saw Koushik V (5/34) register a five-wicket haul for Goa as the former Karnataka pacer’s two early wickets helped bundle out the tail for the addition of just six runs. The 33-year-old also picked the lone wicket to fall in MP second innings. Scoreboard👇
https://www.bcci.tv/domestic/ranji-trophy-elite-2025-26/match/54?s=08