Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Auqib Nabi delivered a spell for the ages, claiming a career-best 12 wickets as Jammu & Kashmir powered past former champions Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs to seal a Ranji Trophy semifinal berth on Monday.Set a target of 291 on the penultimate day — a challenge created by their own batting lapses — Madhya Pradesh were bowled out for 234, ending their campaign and sending J&K into the last four. Jammu & Kashmir will now take on the winner of the quarterfinal between Andhra and Bengal, while the other semifinal will see Uttarakhand face Karnataka.
The 29-year-old Auqib was once again the chief destroyer, following up his stunning first-innings figures of 7/40 with another incisive spell of 5/70. His match haul of 12 for 110 proved decisive as Madhya Pradesh struggled to contain his relentless accuracy and movement.Resuming the day at a precarious 84 for 5 — with Auqib already having figures of 3/23 overnight — Madhya Pradesh never truly recovered. The pacer struck early, removing Ramveer Gurjar for 11, before dismantling the backbone of the resistance by dismissing Saransh Jain, who had battled hard for his 64 off 81 balls to keep hopes alive.The end came swiftly after that. Tailender Aryan Pandey contributed 22, but by then the collapse was well underway. India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer had been the first to depart earlier in the day, falling at 104, with Madhya Pradesh managing to add only 20 runs to their overnight score before losing him.Sensing the opening, Jammu & Kashmir tightened the screws. Saransh Jain, the lone bright spot for Madhya Pradesh, attempted to stage a recovery by forging useful partnerships with Shubham Sharma (32) and Gurjar, striking seven boundaries and a six in the process. However, once Auqib returned to end Jain’s resistance, the visitors had little left to offer.Left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq provided excellent support at the other end, finishing with figures of 3 for 49 to ensure there was no late escape.With a comprehensive all-round effort led by Auqib’s devastating spell, Jammu & Kashmir marched confidently into the Ranji Trophy semifinals, continuing their impressive run in the tournament.
