INAYAT QAYOOM
SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 17:
Jammu and Kashmir moved to the threshold of a historic maiden Ranji Trophy final after a gripping third day in the semifinal at Kalyani, riding on a magnificent all-round display from Auqib Nabi Dar. The visitors now require just 83 runs with eight wickets in hand to seal a landmark victory in India’s premier domestic competition.
The penultimate day unfolded as a dramatic contest dominated by fast bowling, with as many as 17 wickets falling and momentum swinging wildly between the two sides. Bengal’s pace spearhead Mohammed Shami kept the hosts in the hunt with a sensational career-best haul of 8 for 90, rattling J&K’s first innings and briefly shifting the balance.
Resuming at 198/5, J&K were eventually bowled out for 302, conceding a narrow 26-run lead after Bengal’s first-innings total of 328. A vital 64-run ninth-wicket partnership between Auqib Nabi (42) and Yudhvir Singh (33) proved crucial in trimming the deficit and ensuring J&K stayed firmly in contention.
However, the match turned decisively in the second session as J&K’s pace battery unleashed a relentless assault on Bengal’s batting lineup. Auqib Nabi capped a superb all-round outing with figures of 4 for 36, taking his match tally to nine wickets, while Sunil Kumar provided outstanding support with 4 for 27. Bengal crumbled under sustained pressure and were bundled out for just 99 in their second innings.
Apart from Shahbaz Ahmed’s fighting 24, the hosts failed to mount any significant resistance against disciplined and probing spells from the J&K seamers.
Set a modest target of 126, J&K faced early jitters when Akash Deep struck twice to reduce them to 12/2. But Shubham Pundir (23) and Vanshaj Sharma (9) displayed composure beyond their years, stitching together an unbeaten 31-run stand to steady the innings before stumps.
At close of play, J&K were comfortably placed at 43/2, firmly in control of the chase and within touching distance of scripting the most significant milestone in the team’s domestic cricket history. All eyes will now be on the final day as Jammu and Kashmir stand poised to carve their name into the annals of the Ranji Trophy.