Ranji Trophy: Ajay Kookna's twin strikes keep Rajasthan in control against Railways
toi
newspoint|21-10-2026
JAIPUR: Left-arm spinner Ajay Kookna ’s timely twin strikes broke two crucial partnerships to derail a solid Railways recovery, keeping Rajasthan firmly in the driver’s seat on Day Three at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium . Railways finished the day at 305/6, still trailing by 192 runs behind the hosts' massive first-innings total , despite a gritty 73-run (203 balls) resistance from captain Bhargav Merai .
After starting the day from 46/1, Railways lost two quick wickets in the opening session to pacers Danish Bhambhu and Akash Singh before mounting a recovery. Merai first partnered with Eshaan Goyal (64 off 164) to put together 98 runs.
Kookna provided the much-needed first breakthrough after lunch by trapping Goyal lbw, ending their threatening stand. Following this, Merai found another fluent ally in Ravi Singh (53 off 75).
Explaining the tactical shift after the break, Kookna pointed out that while they initially expected the pitch to offer help, it did not, so the target was simply to restrict runs by hitting consistent areas. “As the ball gets older, it stops turning, so the new ball helped us break the partnership," he said after the day’s play.
The Railways’ pair frustrated the hosts with an 83-run alliance, before Kookna halted their momentum in the final session with his second decisive strike of the day, having the Railways skipper stumped.
Soon after, pacer Chetan Sharma removed Ravi, who was caught behind, to reduce the visitors to 256/6.
The Railways skipper conceded that when that partnership broke, the momentum shifted. “Our partnership was very crucial. If I had stayed at the crease, we would surely have had the upper hand,” he said.
Refusing to surrender, Zubair Ali (18 not out off 33 balls) and Toufik Mondal (33 not out off 48 balls) stitched together an unbroken lower-order resistance through the rest of the evening. The pair narrowed the deficit, keeping alive hopes of avoiding the follow-on as the match heads into the final day.
Merai said that they were originally looking to chase the 497-run total. “I have seen big totals being chased down here, so that was our goal. If we had scored 300 for 4, we could still be in the game, but we lost two extra wickets. Zubair scored 100 last year and won two Player-of-the-Match awards, so we are still hopeful of a good partnership of 100 runs, and then things can change," he said.
"The pitch has gone slower. There is some patch at the far end, so Kookna will be crucial for them on the last day. If we can deal with him, great,” the Railways captain added.
After starting the day from 46/1, Railways lost two quick wickets in the opening session to pacers Danish Bhambhu and Akash Singh before mounting a recovery. Merai first partnered with Eshaan Goyal (64 off 164) to put together 98 runs.
Kookna provided the much-needed first breakthrough after lunch by trapping Goyal lbw, ending their threatening stand. Following this, Merai found another fluent ally in Ravi Singh (53 off 75).
Explaining the tactical shift after the break, Kookna pointed out that while they initially expected the pitch to offer help, it did not, so the target was simply to restrict runs by hitting consistent areas. “As the ball gets older, it stops turning, so the new ball helped us break the partnership," he said after the day’s play.
The Railways’ pair frustrated the hosts with an 83-run alliance, before Kookna halted their momentum in the final session with his second decisive strike of the day, having the Railways skipper stumped.
Soon after, pacer Chetan Sharma removed Ravi, who was caught behind, to reduce the visitors to 256/6.
The Railways skipper conceded that when that partnership broke, the momentum shifted. “Our partnership was very crucial. If I had stayed at the crease, we would surely have had the upper hand,” he said.
Refusing to surrender, Zubair Ali (18 not out off 33 balls) and Toufik Mondal (33 not out off 48 balls) stitched together an unbroken lower-order resistance through the rest of the evening. The pair narrowed the deficit, keeping alive hopes of avoiding the follow-on as the match heads into the final day.
Merai said that they were originally looking to chase the 497-run total. “I have seen big totals being chased down here, so that was our goal. If we had scored 300 for 4, we could still be in the game, but we lost two extra wickets. Zubair scored 100 last year and won two Player-of-the-Match awards, so we are still hopeful of a good partnership of 100 runs, and then things can change," he said.
"The pitch has gone slower. There is some patch at the far end, so Kookna will be crucial for them on the last day. If we can deal with him, great,” the Railways captain added.
Related News
Latest Newsmore
ICC fines Bangladesh after humiliating defeat to Zimbabwe, know what was the mistake
20-Oct-2026 • Samira Vishwas
Chris Woakes backs Harry Brook to play key role for England in 2027 ODI World Cup
20-Oct-2026 • Samira Vishwas
Harmanpreet Kaur's Experience Will Be Key In Guiding Youngsters: Smriti Mandhana
20-Oct-2026 • NDTV Sports Desk
Marriage With Abhishek, Hookup With Gill: Anaya Bangar's Answers Surprise Fans
20-Oct-2026 • Shivam Sharma
Ranji Trophy 2026/27: Azharuddeen, spinners help Kerala seize control
20-Oct-2026 • Samira Vishwas