Thiruvananthapuram: Under brooding grey clouds that hovered over the Greenfield Stadium, Kerala’s batting unravelled in a heap of unfulfilled promise, dismissed for 219 in response to Maharashtra’s 239. The visitors then raced to 51/0 in 9 overs, courtesy Prithvi Shaw’s quickfire unbeaten 37, when bad light stopped proceedings an hour before the scheduled close on Friday. A 71-run deficit felt like a punch in the gut to the last season’s runner-up, especially after they won the toss on Day 1 and had Maharashtra on the ropes at 18/5.The innings began today with more hope than direction and soon spiralled into disarray, driven largely by the muddled state of Kerala’s top order. Opener Akshay Chandran scratched and fidgeted for 21 agonising deliveries before departing for a duck on Thursday.Baba Aparajith came and went for 6, while Rohan Kunnumal briefly flickered with a silken 27, before misjudging the moment and gifting his wicket away. When Sanju Samson strode in today, there was a buzz of anticipation. And for a while, he delivered — whipping, driving, and lofting with effortless flair.His 54 was a mix of poise and dazzle, but ended with a faint under-edge off Vicky Ostwal that nestled in the gloves of Saurabh Nawale. Captain Mohammed Azharuddeen looked composed during his 36, until he too edged Ostwal to Nawale. It was left to the ever-reliable Salman Nizar to steady the ship.Calm under fire, he farmed the strike smartly, shielded the tail, and inched Kerala toward parity with a valiant 49 — before getting caught in the deep backward point region by Jalaj Saxena off Mukesh Choudhary, finishing heartbreakingly short of his fifty and the lead. The pitch had its tricks, but this was a psychological collapse as much as a technical one, and Kerala blinked. While Kerala’s top order was lacklustre, their middle and lower order failed to convert their starts into something monumental. “We worked hard on our batting during the off-season camps,” admitted Kerala pacer MD Nidheesh. But none of it came through today. As Maharashtra left the field with a spring in their step and a lead in their kitty, Kerala were left staring into the overcast skies — searching for answers, and a way back into the contest. Brief Scores: Maharashtra 239 and 51/0 (Prithvi Shaw 37 not out) lead Kerala 219 ( Sanju Samson 54, Salman Nizar 49, Jalaj Saxena 3/46) by 71 runs.
