Ranji Trophy: Shahbaz Ahmed’s 11-wicket match haul sets up Bengal’s win

Ranji Trophy: Shahbaz Ahmed's 11-wicket match haul sets up Bengal's win

Best Batting Performances

Andhra assumed a 170-run first-innings lead over Nagaland, declaring on 536/9. CR Gnaneshwar was the standout, converting his overnight 87 into an unbeaten 227—his maiden first-class double-century. He shared century stands with KV Sasikanth and Tripurana Vijay.

In Agartala, Tripura claimed a 75-run first-innings lead over Gujarat, finishing on 427. Vijay Shankar remained unbeaten on 151, while Hanuma Vihari contributed a gritty 90 in a partnership that extended beyond 200.

Tamil Nadu took a first-innings lead over Baroda, reaching 411/7 by stumps. Opener Vimal Khumar led the way with 182, scoring his century early on the third day and sharing century stands with Athish SR and Pradosh Ranjan Paul.

Rajasthan, facing a 181-run first-innings deficit, fought back to set Puducherry a 171-run target. Captain Mahipal Lomror anchored the innings with 131, hitting 20 fours and three sixes. For Puducherry, Karan Kannan (6-44) and Sagar Udeshi (4-88) shared all the wickets.

Kerala secured a 171-run first-innings lead over Goa, declaring on 526/9. Rohan Kunnummal (153) and Vishnu Vinod (113) both scored centuries, with Vinod batting through most of the day.

Hyderabad posted a massive 631, earning a 348-run first-innings lead over Chattisgarh. The innings was built on centuries from Abhirath Reddy (121), Kodimela Himateja (171), and Pragnay Reddy (126).

Jammu & Kashmir piled on 771 in response to Himachal Pradesh's 168. Resuming at 387/5, they were powered to 700 and beyond by centuries from Kanhaiya Wadhawan (110) and Abid Mushtaq (177).

Best Bowling Performances

Saurashtra secured an innings-and-56-run victory over Chandigarh. Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and Chirag Jani each took four-wicket hauls to dismantle Chandigarh, who resumed the day trailing by 286 runs with all wickets intact.

Shahbaz Ahmed was the hero for Bengal, ripping through Haryana's batting with a six-wicket haul to secure a comprehensive 188-run win on the third day. He accounted for the first six wickets to fall, reducing Haryana to 69/6 before the tail was cleaned up.

For Services, Arjun Sharma's six-wicket haul restricted Railways to 212, handing Services a 131-run first-innings lead. After Services declared their second innings, Raj Choudhary returned a five-wicket haul as Railways were set a 298-run target.

Madhya Pradesh claimed a 188-run win over Maharashtra, bowling them out for just 133. Kumar Kartikeya and Aryan Pandey took four-wicket hauls each, after a fighting 90 from Shubham Sharma helped Madhya Pradesh add 92 to their overnight total.