*Auqib takes fifer; Samad, Paras slam splendid fifties
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 16: Mohammed Shami bowled a couple of incisive spells to get three wickets but Jammu and Kashmir did well enough to reach 198 for 5 against Bengal on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final at the Bengal Cricket Academy Ground, Kalyani.
Explosive Abdul Samad and skipper Paras Dogra unleashed splendid half-centuries, propelling J&K to a commanding 198/5 at stumps on day two.
Earlier, Sudip Kumar Gharami’s masterful 146 propelled Bengal to 328 runs in their first innings. He struck 21 fours and one six in his 246 ball knock. Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran (49), Shahbaz (42), and Sumanta Gupta (39) were the other major contributors.
J&K’s bowlers, led by a tireless pace trio, battled fiercely to the final ball, extracting every ounce of challenge from the surface. Auqib Nabi once again shone with the ball, capturing 5 wickets by conceding 87 runs in his 26 overs, while Sunil Kumar took 3 wickets by giving away 41 runs in his 20 overs. Yudhvir Singh and Abid Mushtaq claimed one wicket each.
In reply, J&K after early hiccups rode on 143-run partnership between Abdul Samad and Paras Dogra and ended the day at 198/5, with Abid Mushtaq (26) and Kanhaiya Wadhawan (10) at the crease. Samad showed stellar grit and tenacity and scored power-packed 82 off 85 balls studded with 12 delectable boundaries, while Paras contributed 58 off 112 balls with 7 crispy boundaries. Shubham Khajuris (1), Yawer Hassan (2) and Shubham Singh Pundir (8) were sent back to the pavilion early in the innings as J&K was struggling at 13/3 before Samad and Paras duo salvaged the sinking ship.
For Bengal, Mohammed Shami took 3 wickets by giving away 60 runs in his 13 overs, while Mukesh Kumar bagged 2 wickets by conceding 40 runs in his 13 overs.
“Heartiest congratulations to Paras Dogra, the Captain of J&K Ranji Team, for achieving the individual milestone of only the 2nd player to cross the 10,000 run mark in the history of the Ranji Trophy. Hopefully under your leadership the team will also make history,” said Brig Anil Gupta Member-Administration JKCA. He also congratulated Auqib Nabi for yet another 5-wicket haul, 6th of the season.
Brief Scores: Bengal 1st Innings 328 in 97.1 overs (Sudip Kumar Gharami 146, Abhimanyu Easwaran 49, Auqib Nabi 5/87). J&K 1st Innings 198/5 in 51 overs (Abdul Samad 82, Paras Dogra 58, Mohammed Shami 3/60).
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