Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Abid Mushtaq produced a stunning performance, finishing with nine wickets as North Zone beat West Zone by 52 runs in the in Bengaluru.
He was very effective on the morning of Day 4, securing a stunning win for the North.
West, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, began the day needing 67 runs for victory, while North required three wickets to complete the job. Mushtaq made the breakthrough almost immediately, removing Tanush Kotian with the second ball of the morning. The delivery stayed low, beat Kotian’s defence and struck middle stump.
Tushar Deshpande then resisted for 17 balls before attempting to attack Mushtaq in his third over. Deshpande moved down the track but found an edge through to Abdul Samad at slip, with the spin bowling from around the wicket proving difficult to control.
West’s chase ended three deliveries later. Urvil Patel was trapped lbw for 25 while attempting to attack Nishant Sindhu, ending the match before the visitors could add to their overnight position. On Day 4, only 6.3 overs were played and that was enough for North, who arrived at the match as underdogs.
Gaikwad, Musheer’s knock went in vain
The result completed a turnaround engineered late on the third day. West had appeared well placed at 211 for 4 after Musheer Khan and Gaikwad had put together a century partnership, but North’s spinners shifted the momentum before the final day. Ruturaj’s run-out on 66 started to change the dynamics, which completely turned after Musheer got out on 96.
Meanwhile, Mushtaq was not the only major contributor to North’s victory. Arshdeep Singh returned to red-ball cricket after almost a year away and claimed four wickets, including three in the first innings. His late movement troubled West’s top order.
Anshul Kamboj also played a significant role. He made 60 in North’s first innings, helping them recover from 161 for 7 and reach 251. With the old ball, he then removed Mumbai batters Shams Mulani and Kotian in quick succession as North secured a 64-run first-innings advantage. Ayush Badoni subsequently strengthened North’s position with his second successive half-century of the match.
North will now face South Zone, led by Tilak Varma, in the first semi-final. East Zone will meet defending champions Central Zone in the other. Both semi-finals begin August 30 at the Centre of Excellence.