Srinagar, Feb 15: Jammu and Kashmir tightened their grip on the Ranji Trophy semifinal after a disciplined bowling effort restricted Bengal to 249 for 5 at stumps on Day 1.
In their first ever semifinal appearance in the tournament’s history, J&K opted to bowl and justified the decision with sustained pressure across 79.5 overs. Bengal scored at a controlled rate of 3.12, but J&K never allowed the innings to run away.
The breakthrough came early when Sudip Chatterjee fell for 0 at 4 for 1. Though Abhimanyu Easwaran attempted to steady the innings with a patient 49 off 96 balls, J&K kept striking at key intervals. Easwaran became one of two wickets for Auqib Nabi Dar, who bowled 18 probing overs, conceding 48 runs at an economy of 2.7. He also removed Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal for 0, reducing Bengal to 89 for 3 and firmly shifting momentum.
Sunil Kumar delivered a tight spell that further strengthened J&K’s position. The left arm pacer returned figures of 2 for 31 in 16.5 overs, maintaining an impressive economy of 1.8. He dismissed Chatterjee and later trapped Shahbaz Ahmed for 42, halting another promising stand. Abid Mushtaq chipped in with the key wicket of Anustup Majumdar for 14, while Yudhvir Singh Charak, Vanshaj Sharma and Abdul Samad kept things controlled from the other end.
Bengal’s main resistance came from Sudip Gharami, who compiled an unbeaten 136 off 227 balls, striking 19 fours and one six. He anchored the innings after the early setbacks and guided Bengal past 200. The fall of wickets at 4 for 1, 89 for 2, 89 for 3, 155 for 4 and 249 for 5 reflected J&K’s ability to break partnerships at crucial stages.
With Sumanta Gupta, Shakir Habib Gandhi, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar yet to bat, J&K will aim to wrap up the innings quickly on Day 2. Having already scripted history by reaching their maiden semifinal, J&K now stand in a strong position to push for a place in the Ranji Trophy final.
