Daijiworld Media Network - Indore
Indore, Feb 9: Jammu & Kashmir etched their name into Ranji Trophy history on Monday, storming into their first-ever semifinal after defeating former champions Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs in a gripping quarterfinal at the Holkar Stadium.
The landmark achievement comes 67 years after J&K first appeared in India’s premier domestic tournament and six years after their previous knockout appearance, making the victory all the more special.
The hero of the match was pacer Auqib Nabi, whose sensational match figures of 12 for 110 powered J&K to the historic win. Madhya Pradesh began the fourth day on 87 for 5, chasing a target of 291, but their hopes took an early blow with the dismissal of Venkatesh Iyer.
Saransh Jain mounted a spirited resistance with a well-fought 64, keeping MP in contention, but Nabi once again turned the game on its head, producing a delivery that jagged back in to breach Jain’s defence. With MP reduced to 211 for 9, a stubborn last-wicket stand of 23 between Aryan Pandey and Kuldeep Sen briefly delayed the inevitable before Yudhvir Singh bowled Pandey to seal the result.
Earlier in the match, J&K clawed their way back after being dismissed for 194 in the first innings, thanks largely to Nabi’s devastating spell of 7 for 40, which handed them a narrow 42-run lead. Madhya Pradesh then struck back strongly, leaving J&K struggling at 73 for 5 in their second innings.
However, J&K’s lower order staged a remarkable recovery, led by Abid Mushtaq’s crucial 41 and an unbeaten 54 from Vanshraj Sharma. Even at 183 for 9, MP seemed to have kept the target within manageable limits, but a vital 65-run last-wicket partnership between Sunil Kumar and Yudhvir Singh pushed J&K’s total to 248, giving them the breathing space they needed.
That cushion proved decisive as Nabi and company wrapped up a famous victory, sending J&K into uncharted territory.
Brief scores:
Jammu and Kashmir 194 (Khajuria 60; Sen 5-66, Kartikeya 3-26) and 248 (Vanshraj Sharma 54*, Abid Mushtaq 41; Sen 4-65)
Madhya Pradesh 152 (Dubey 58; Auqib Nabi 7-40, Sunil Kumar 3-47) and 234 (Saransh Jain 64; Nabi 5-70, Mushtaq 3-49)
Jammu & Kashmir won by 56 runs.