VADODARA: Jammu and Kashmir’s bowling struggles continued as Baroda piled up a formidable 616 in their first innings, riding on Priyanshu Moliya’s unbeaten triple century in the Ranji Trophy Elite 2026-27 Elite Group A encounter at the Reliance Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Moliya remained unbeaten on 321 off 492 deliveries, striking 36 fours and a six to put Baroda in a commanding position and expose J&K’s inability to finish off an innings after making early inroads.
Baroda, who had ended the opening day at 259 for six, continued to frustrate the defending champions on Day 2, with Moliya leading the resistance through a marathon knock that lasted across two days.
J&K had managed to reduce the hosts to 197 for six on Day 1, raising hopes of restricting them to a manageable total. However, the bowling attack failed to build on that advantage, allowing Moliya to dominate proceedings and take Baroda past the 600-run mark.
Umar Nazir Mir was the most successful bowler among those who struck early, claiming two wickets for 28 runs, while Sunil Kumar, Sahil Lotra, Rohit Sharma and Vanshaj Sharma picked up one wicket each.
The inability to break partnerships and contain the lower order has become a concern for J&K in recent red-ball outings. After conceding a substantial second-innings total against Madhya Pradesh and allowing Rest of India to recover from eight wickets down in the Irani Cup, the defending champions once again struggled to maintain pressure over a prolonged period.
While Moliya deserves credit for his exceptional patience and shot selection, the ease with which Baroda recovered from six down will concern the J&K team management.
In reply, J&K reached six without loss in four overs at stumps on Day 2, with Shubham Khajuria on two and Qamran Iqbal yet to open his account. The visitors trail by 610 runs and face a challenging task to make inroads into Baroda’s substantial first-innings lead.
With three days of the match scheduled, J&K will need a determined batting effort to stay in contention, while their bowling unit will have to address its inability to sustain pressure if the side is to mount a stronger defence of its Ranji Trophy title.
Match position at stumps, Day 2: Baroda 616; J&K 6/0. J&K trail by 610 runs.
