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Ranji Trophy: MP set up semi-final clash with Bengal; Karnataka register innings win over Uttarakhand in quarters
MP will take on Bengal in the semifinals from February 8 in a repeat of last edition's last-four stage match. MP had won that match by 174 runs at Alur, Karnataka.
Riding on half-centuries from opener Yash Dubey and Rajat Patidar, defending champions Madhya Pradesh completed their remarkable fightback as they beat Andhra by five wickets to enter the Ranji Trophy semifinals here on Friday.
After conceding a big first innings lead of 151, MP bounced back on the third day on Thursday by skittling out Andhra for a mere 93 in 32.3 overs in the visiting side's second innings.
Set a target of 245 to win the quarterfinal match, MP were 58 for no loss on Thursday and they knocked off the remaining 187 runs in 61 overs on Friday to win the match with a day to spare.
The heroic efforts of Andhra captain Hanuma Vihari who batted one-handed in both their innings after a wrist injury went in vain as his team could not stop MP from reaching 245 for 5 in 77 overs.
MP will now take on Bengal in the semifinals from February 8 in a repeat of last edition's last-four stage match. MP had won that match by 174 runs at Alur, Karnataka.
Most of the MP top order batters except for captain Aditya Shrivastava (2) made useful contributions on the fourth day on Friday.
Opener and wicketkeeper-batter Himanshu Mantri was the first to go in the second ball of the day without adding any run to his overnight 31.
Dubey (58) then shared 62 runs for the second wicket with Shubham Sharma (40) before the former was out. Patidar (55) then stitched 49 runs with Saransh Jain (28 not out) for the fourth wicket to take MP to 207 for 4. Jain then completed the formalities along with Harsh Gawli (18 not out) to take MP home.
Lalith Mohan and Prithvi Raj took two wickets apiece for Andhra while Nitish Kumar Reddy got one.
Karnataka register innings win over Uttarakhand to enter Ranji Trophy semifinals
Eight-time champions Karnataka dominated with both bat and ball as they thrashed Uttarakhand by an innings and 281 runs to enter the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy here on Friday.
Resuming at their overnight score of 106 for 3 after following on, Uttarakhand batters could add just 103 runs before being bowled out for 209 in 73.4 overs on the fourth day of the quarterfinal match.
Swapnil Singh (51 off 100 balls) top-scored for Uttarakhand.
Shreyas Gopal turned out to be the star for Karnataka, as, after making an unbeaten 161 with the bat in his team's massive first innings total of 606, he returned with figures of 3/26 in Uttarakhand's second essay to claim the player-of-the-match honour.
Besides Gopal, Vijaykumar Vyshak (3/55), Vidwath Kaverappa (2/30) and M Venkatesh (2/44) also chipped in with wickets.
Karnataka would be looking to add to their eight Ranji titles and reclaim the elite domestic crown after the 2014-15 season.
