Kamal Ghorui
KALYANI: Jammu and Kashmir stand on the brink of history. They have ample reason to believe they can make their maiden Ranji Trophy final as Bengal dug their own grave on Day Three of the Ranji semifinal at the Bengal Cricket Academy (BCA) ground here on Tuesday.Bengal batters made a complete mess of the situation even after managing a 26-run first-innings lead after bowling out the visitors for 302 at the lunch break on Tuesday.
However, what followed was beyond the credible. In a blink-and-miss second session of play, Bengal were reduced to 77/6 in 20 overs at tea. The hosts lost their remaining four wickets in the next 5.1 overs in the last session to be all out for 99, their lowest total against J&K in first-class cricket. In a swift change of script, J&K came out to bat in their second essay needing just 126 runs for a memorable win.An unbroken 31-run third-wicket stand between Vanshaj Sharma (9*) and Shubham Pundir (22*) saw J&K through the day at 43/2, just 83 runs away from their dream final.The day, however, began differently as Bengal’s one-man bowling army Mohammed Shami continued to fire, picking up all the five remaining J&K wickets to finish with a career-best haul of eight for 90 in 22.1 overs. The former India pacer bowled 9.1 overs in all, spread over two spells on the third day morning handing over Bengal the vital lead. Then came the twist in the tale.J&K’s star pacer Auqib Nabi began the demolition job from the first over. Bengal opener Sudip Chatterjee had a ‘pair’ when he became Nabi’s first victim in the fourth ball of their innings. Left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar provided the biggest jolt by having Bengal’s in-form batter Sudip Gharami caught in front in the next over.Bengal skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran once again came a cropper in knockout games when Nabi dismissed him for five as Bengal were reduced to seven for three in the fifth over. After veteran Anushtup Majumder was dismissed LBW in the next over off Yudhvir Singh, Shahbaz Ahmed and Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal tried to steady things by stitching together a 35-run fourth-wicket stand. But the duo departed in quick succession.Nabi (4-36) and Kumar (4-27) shared the spoils while Yudhvir got 2-29.
