Ranji Trophy 2019-20: Semi-finals – Day 4: Round Up

Bengal will now be vying to lift their third Ranji Trophy in the final.

Published - 03 Mar 2020, 17:33 IST | Updated - 03 Mar 2020, 17:33 IST

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Bengal hogged the headlines on the fourth day of Ranji Trophy 2019-20 semi-finals as they paved their way into the final for the first time since 2007. The Abhimanyu Easwaran-led side will be eyeing their third Ranji Trophy this season.

Bengal spoilt Karnakata’s dream of clinching a domestic treble after handing them a 174-run defeat in the semi-final. Bengal’s bowling force–led by Mukesh Kumar– wreaked havoc on Karnataka’s batting lineup in the second innings. After Ishan Porel gave Karnataka an early blow in the form of KL Rahul, Mukesh Kumar took care of the rest as he dismantled Karnataka’s middle-order to leave them reeling at a score of 103/6.

Devdutt Padikkal, who finished as the top-scorer for Karnataka in this season of Ranji Trophy, did provide his side with some stability by sticking to the crease and stitching a vital 62-run knock. After Padikkal’s departure, it was the duo of Abhimanyu Mithun (38) and Krishnappa Gowtham (22) who tried to save the sinking ship of Karnataka.

However, their efforts turned futile as Karnataka were eventually bowled out on 177 runs. Mukesh Kumar’s six-wicket haul was pivotal in Bengal’s triumph along with the bowling display from Ishan Porel and Akash Deep, who also chipped in with two wickets each. Anustup Majumdar was adjudged Man of the Match for his impressive 149-run knock in the first innings. Bengal will now be vying to lift their third Ranji Trophy in the final.

Gujarat need 320 more runs on the final day to progress into the final

In the other semi-final, Saurashtra established a formidable 326-run lead over Gujarat on the back of some individual batting performances. After losing early wickets, it was Arpit Vasavada who saved Saurashtra from a batting debacle with his 139-run knock. He was also joined by Chirag Jani, who scored a gritty half-century to steer Saurashtra to a total of 274 runs. Chintan Gaja emerged as the best performer for Gujarat as he scalped seven wickets to curb Saurashtra’s run-flow.

With a target of 327 runs to chase, Gujarat had a sloppy start in their second innings as Priyank Panchal was shown the exit door on a golden duck by Jaydev Unadkat. Skipper Unadkat drew the first blood to put Gujarat on the back foot at the culmination of Day 4. Parthiv Patel and Co. need 320 more runs on the final day to book their place in the final of Ranji Trophy 2019-20.