Auqib Nabi delivered a performance that could define a season, claiming a nine-wicket match haul and smashing a counterattacking 42 from No. 9 to put Jammu and Kashmir on the brink of a historic first Ranji Trophy final.
Bengal were bowled out for 99 in their second innings on day three, collapsing inside 25.1 overs in a session that decisively swung the semifinal. The slide came despite a remarkable effort from Mohammed Shami, who returned career-best figures of 8 for 90 from 22.1 overs.
Set a target of 126, Jammu and Kashmir reached 43 for 2 at stumps and now need 83 more runs with two full days remaining.
They lost Shubham Khajuria and Yawer Hasan to Akash Deep in successive overs, but Shubham Pundir remained composed with an unbeaten 23. Vanshaj Sharma, promoted to No. 4 after his second-innings fifty in the quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh, was steady on nine as the pair ensured there were no further setbacks.
Earlier, resuming at 198 for 5, Jammu and Kashmir were rocked by Shami’s relentless spell. Operating largely in the mid 130 kph range, he attacked the fifth-stump channel with discipline and seam movement. He dismissed Abid Mushtaq and Kanhaiya Wadhawan to complete his third five-wicket haul of the season and the 15th of his first-class career.
Just when Bengal looked set to take a decisive first-innings lead, Nabi shifted the momentum. His 42 from 54 balls, which included five fours and a six, changed the tone of the contest. Yudhvir Singh provided valuable support with 33 as the ninth-wicket pair added 64 runs, trimming the deficit to 30 and keeping the visitors firmly in the contest.
Shami eventually wrapped up the innings at 302, but the late resistance had already altered the balance.
If Shami offered Bengal hope in the morning, Nabi dismantled it in the afternoon. He struck with the first ball of Bengal’s second innings, trapping Sudip Chatterjee lbw. Sunil Kumar soon removed first-innings centurion Sudip Kumar Gharami for a duck.
Bengal’s top order faltered under pressure. Captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was dismissed for five, undone by Nabi, as the top three contributed just five runs. On a surface that had eased considerably, the lack of application proved costly.
Nabi finished with 4 for 36 in the second innings, while Sunil Kumar claimed 4 for 27. Yudhvir chipped in with two wickets as Bengal folded meekly.
With figures of 5 for 87 in the first innings and 4 for 36 in the second, Nabi took his match tally to nine wickets and his season’s haul to 55 wickets at an average under 13.
For Bengal, hosting a semifinal with hopes of a first title since 1989-90, the collapse was both sudden and damaging. For Jammu and Kashmir, history is now just 83 runs away.
