Middle-order batter Saransh Jain held firm with a solid 82 not out to help Madhya Pradesh beat Goa by three wickets after a tense run chase on the final day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match, in Porvorim, Goa, on Tuesday.
Madhya Pradesh, who had conceded a 97-run first innings lead to Goa, started the final day at 21 for 1 in pursuit of 328, and wickets fell at regular intervals.
Arriving at 176 for 4, Jain anchored the run chase with some support from the lower order. His unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 65 with Arshad Khan (25) turned it around for the visitors.
Jain hit nine fours in his 132-ball unbeaten innings. Captain Shubham Sharma got 72 off 134 balls, while Harsh Gawli contributed 54.
The other two matches of Group B -- Kerala vs Saurashtra, and Karnataka vs Maharashtra -- ended in draws.
In Pune, Karnataka took three points and Maharashtra one after the drawn match.
Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal struck 103 off 249 balls (8x4, 1x6), while Abhinav Manohar made 96 off 160 deliveries but there was no way a result could have been achieved in the match.
Karnataka, who took a slender 13-run lead in the first innings, decided to shake hands with Maharashtra after reaching 310 for 8.
Maharashtra had made 300 in reply to Karnataka's 313 in the first innings.
The result leaves Karnataka on top of the Group B points table, while Maharashtra are third.
In Mangalapuram, hosts Kerala were 37 for 2 at lunch while chasing 330 for a win. They fought back to save themselves from a defeat, reaching 154 for 3.
More importantly, they earned three points by virtue of a first-innings lead.
Earlier in the day, Saurashtra declared their innings at 402 for 8, built largely around Chirag Jani's 152 on the third day. They began the day at 351 for 5 and Prerak Mankad added just 10 runs from his overnight 52.
The star of the match, however, was the Kerala quick M D Nidheesh who snared 10 wickets.
Punjab had beaten Chandigarh by eight wickets on Monday.
Brief scores:
In Mangalapuram: Saurashtra: 160 and 402 for 8 decl. (Chirag Jani 152, Arpit Vasavada 74, Prerak Mankad 62; N P Basil 3/64, M D Nidheesh 4/83) drew with Kerala 233 and 154 for 3. Points: Kerala 3, Saurashtra 1.
In Pune: Karnataka 313 and 310 for 8 decl. (Mayank Agarwal 103, Abhinav Manohar 96; Mukesh Choudhary 3/70) drew with Maharashtra 300. Points: Karnataka: 3; Maharashtra: 1.
In Porvorim: Goa: 284 and 230 all out lost to Madhya Pradesh 187 and 328 for 7 (Saransh Jain 82 not out, Shubham Sharma 72, Harsh Gawli 54; Darshan Misal 2/57) by three wickets. Points: Madhya Pradesh 6; Goa 0.
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