New Delhi: Jharkhand lost 8 wickets for 30 runs in a second-innings collapse on Day 3 to hand Uttarakhand an innings and six runs victory in Jamshedpur. As a result, Uttarakhand qualified for their first semi-final in the Ranji Trophy.
Only two Jharkhand batters managed to cross the double-figure mark in the second innings as spinner Mayank Mishra picked up five wickets and pacer Abhay Negi took four. The day began with Uttarakhand 47 runs ahead in the first innings, and Jagadeesa Suchith took that lead to 136 by scoring 70 runs off 172 balls. Abhay Negi (46) and Saurabh Rawat also made crucial contributions with the bat.
After taking the first innings lead, Uttarakhand took early wickets in the second as Negi removed the Jharkhand openers, leaving the hosts reeling at 14/2. Virat Singh (55) and Kumar Kushagra (34) stitched an 86-run partnership for the third wicket. But after their dismissal, the middle and lower order only managed to score just 30 more runs as Jharkhand bundled out for 130.
Sudip Kumar shines for Bengal
Sudip Kumar Gharami batted on the entire Day 3 to convert his century into an unbeaten double hundred, helping Bengal to take a 123-run lead by stumps against Andhra in Kalyani. He scored an unbeaten 216 runs off 451 balls with the help of 27 boundaries.
He forged a 165-run partnership with Sumanta for the sixth wicket, and then an undefeated 100-run stand with Gandhi for the seventh, taking the team to 418/6.
J&K on verge of victory
Auqib Nabi picked up three, and Abid Mushtaq took two to put J&K on the verge of a famous win against Madhya Pradesh, reducing them to 87/5. Chasing a 291-run target, the MP openers started the match with a cautious 34-run partnership, but they fell in quick succession.
Nabi and Abid picked up at regular intervals to leave them in a difficult spot at stumps on Day 3. Earlier, J&K lower-order batters made crucial contributions with Vanshaj Sharma (54), Abid (41), and Sunil Kumar (25) taking their team to a respectable 248 in the second innings.
KL Rahul holds key for Karnataka
KL Rahul scored an unbeaten 60 and forged an 84-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal as Karnataka ended Day 3 on 113/2, needing 212 runs to win against Mumbai. Tanush Kotian struck late to remove Padikkal for 39, but Karun Nair, along with Rahul, kept Karnataka in the match.
Earlier in the day, an 89-run stand partnership between Kotian (48*) and Tushar Deshpande (47) helped Mumbai to finish with 377 in their second innings, setting Karnataka a 325-run target to qualify for the semis.