Andhra never truly threatened to stretch Bengal in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final at Kalyani, and the final day was more about damage control than revival. Resuming their second innings on 64 for 3 and still 270 runs adrift after Sudip Gharami’s commanding 299, Andhra’s slim hope rested on delaying the inevitable rather than avoiding it.
That resistance proved short-lived. Ricky Bhui, Andhra’s lone bright spot in the first innings, fell early on the final morning, becoming Shahbaz Ahmed’s second scalp of the innings.
Shahbaz soon struck again to remove Saurabh Kumar, tightening Bengal’s grip. When Nitish Kumar Reddy was dismissed later in the day, Shahbaz completed a four-wicket haul of 4 for 72, adding to the damage already inflicted by Mukesh Kumar (5 for 66) and Akash Deep (4 for 79) in the first innings.
At 96 for 6, Andhra were staring at an innings defeat before Reddy offered some resistance. He first shared a 57-run partnership with Kalidindi Raju, and then combined with No. 9 T Vijay for a further 85 runs, briefly lifting hopes of extending the contest. Vijay chipped in with a 46, while Reddy anchored the innings with a composed knock.
Reddy appeared set for a well-earned century but fell just short, dismissed by Shahbaz for 90 off 144 deliveries, an innings that included seven fours and two sixes. With wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat unavailable due to injury, the remaining resistance faded quickly, and Andhra were eventually bowled out to hand Bengal a comprehensive innings-and-90-run victory.
Bengal now move into the semi-finals, where they will face first-timers Jammu and Kashmir from February 15. The other semi-final will see Karnataka take on Uttarakhand.
Brief Scores: Bengal 629 (Gharami 299, Gandhi 95, Rasheed 4-63) beat Andhra 295 (Bhui 83, Mukesh 5-66, Akash Deep 4-79) and 244 (Reddy 90, Shahbaz 4-72) by an innings and 90 runs.