Jammu and Kashmir enter maiden Ranji Trophy final; Bengal left stunned

Sixty seven years after their maiden appearance Jammu and Kashmir stormed into the Ranji Trophy finals for the first time on Wednesday upstaging twotime former champions Bengal by six wickets in the semifinals here to add another historic chapter to a fairytale season so farAuqib Nabis stunning ninewicket match haul and their IPL star Abdul Samads fearless strokeplay ensured that the side once labelled perennial underachievers now stands one step away from the titleChasing a modest 126 at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground JampK rode on Samads unbeaten 30 off 27 balls 3x6 1x4 and rookie Vanshaj Sharmas composed 43 not out off 83 ball 4x4 as the pair stitched an unbroken 55run stand for the fourth wicket to seal history on the fourth and penultimate day of the semifinalIn a heartwarming gesture Samad who had done the bulk of the damage allowed the 22yearold Vanshaj to finish it in style and the youngster launched Mukesh Kumar over longon for six to spark wild celebrations in the visiting campFrom strugglers to historymakersJammu and Kashmir had played 334 Ranji matches before this season winning only 45 It took them 44 years to register their first victory against Services in 198283Knockout appearances were rare A breakthrough came in 201314 when they edged Goa on net run rate to reach the quarterfinals and in 201516 they stunned Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium under state icon Parveez RasoolBut consistency eluded them for decades as this season under coach Ajay Sharma and captain Paras Dogra they transformed belief into resultsAfter an opening loss to Mumbai they bounced back with innings wins over Rajasthan and key victories against Delhi and Hyderabad to enter the knockoutsA dramatic 56run win over Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinal powered by Nabis 12110 brought them to the semifinals for the first timeBengals big names bigger letdownWith four India internationals in Mohammed Shami Akash Deep Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed and India A star batter Abhimanyu Easwran along with home advantage to boot this was Bengals game to loseThey did exactly that after folding for 99 in 251 overs on day three that set Jammu and Kashmir a paltry 126 to winResuming at 432 on the penultimate day JampK lost an early wicket but Bengal failed to sustain pressure despite Akash Deeps relentless 15over morning spell 346 and Shamis probing 124 from 24 oversThere were anxious moments when Shubham Pundir was cleaned up and Dogra edged behind a low diving catch by Abishek Porel off Akash Deep eventually upheld after reviewBut Bengal looked fatigued and short of ideas once Samad counterattacked The IPL batter retained by Lucknow Super Giants turned the tide in a single over against Akash Deep that fetched 18 runsHe did not spare Shahbaz either dancing down the track to deposit him over midwicket and then through covers as JampK crossed the 100run markFrom there shoulders dropped in the Bengal campThe introduction of parttime options and a visible dip in intensity underlined a campaign that promised much but fizzled when it mattered mostNabis season for the agesThe foundations of Jammu and Kashmirs win however were laid by NabiLast time we missed it in the quarters but we did all the hard work and we deserved it said Nabi after winning the manofthematchThe 29yearold pacer followed his 12wicket match haul in the quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh with another devastating effort finishing with nine wickets in the match including a fivefor in the first innings to take his seasons tally to 55 wickets at an average of under 13Nabi had also contributed with the bat playing a decisive knock at No9JampK had posted 302 in their first innings reducing the deficit to 26 thanks to Dogras gritty 58 112 balls Samads counterattacking 82 85 balls and a crucial late surge from Nabi 42 off 54 and Yudhvir Singh 33 in a 64run lastwicket standDogras milestoneFor 41yearold captain Paras Dogra it was a week of personal and collective milestonesIn a career spanning 24 years across Himachal Pradesh Pondicherry and now JampK Dogra also became only the second batter after Wasim Jaffer to score 10000 Ranji Trophy runsIntroduced to the game by his father Kultar Dogras journey has been one of endurance and quiet steelIts a big achievement never thought about it I enjoyed the journey full of ups and downs The game makes you a strong human being Dogra saidHis resolute halfcentury in a 143run partnership with Samad in the first innings set the tone for the sides resilienceThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever