Bengal’s iron grip tightened around Andhra in the Ranji Trophy Elite quarterfinal at Kalyani. After a colossal first-innings 629 against Andhra’s 295, the home side enforces a follow-on, with Andhra reeling at 64/3—270 runs behind at stumps on day four.
An innings victory beckons, paving Bengal’s path to the February 15 semifinal versus Jammu & Kashmir, who triumphed over Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs.
Andhra’s top order showed fight initially: Bhui’s 83 anchored, Bharat (47) and Rashid (46) supported. But Bengal’s bowlers pounced—Mukesh Kumar’s five-for, Akash Deep’s four-wicket burst, and Shami’s scalp ended the resistance.
Bengal’s batsmen then feasted. Gharami’s epic 299 (31×4, 6×6) was the standout, Habib raced to 95 (9 boundaries), Gupta notched 81, and Shami 53. Andhra’s Rashid picked 4 wickets in a lone fightback.
Resuming the second innings, Andhra lost Gyaneswar (20), Reddy (5), and Rashid (8) cheaply. Bhui (18*) holds fort, but Bengal’s attack, led by Shami and Kumar, smells blood.
This quarterfinal-3 clash exemplifies Bengal’s balanced unit—seam firepower up front, batting depth to follow. A win cements their elite status, setting up a blockbuster semi.