Ranji Trophy Highlights, Day 4 Round 5: Bengal Beat MP By 11 Runs; Karnataka, Vidarbha, Kerala All Settle For Draws

Good morning! Welcome to the live coverage of Ranji Trophy 2024-25. Today is the fourth and the final day of round five matches. Amid the conclusion to several matches critical to the points table in all four groups, all eyes are on Mohammed Shami and what more he can deliver for Bengal after a heartening performance in the first innings upon comeback. Stay with us for live updates from India's premier red-ball domestic cricket tournament.

Vivrant Sharma and Abid Mushtaq hit undefeated half-centuries to help Jammu and Kashmir beat Tripura by four wickets. Chasing 202 for an outright victory, J&K made 204 for six to cement their second position in the group behind leaders Vidarbha (27) with 23 points after five rounds. Tripura remained in fifth place with 12 points.

Meanwhile, Odisha tasted their first win of the season when they beat Maharashtra by three wickets. And in Delhi, Mumbai closed in on a win, bowling Services out for 182 in their second innings to need just 135 runs for victory.

We have a wicket in the first over of the morning in the Group C match between Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka in Lucknow.  V Koushik has Kritagya Singh caught by Nikin Jose as UP lose their sixth wicket in the 111th over of their innings. Their lead has stretched beyond 150 runs, however and with four wickets in hand, they would look to set a 200-plus target for the visitors.

More encouraging news regarding Mohammed Shami's form as the India pacer castles Rajat Patidar for 32 during the Madhya Pradesh vs Bengal encounter. This is Shami's sixth wicket of the match and second of this innings. How many more can he take, and could this lead to a swift India call-up Down Under?

Tamil Nadu have delivered an emphatic result early in the morning, defeating Railways by an innings and 25 runs in Ahmedabad. TN bowl Railways out for 184, taking less than half an hour to finish the job and jump to second place in Group D with 19 points.

Madhya Pradesh are currently five down for 199 runs in 64 overs in Indore, chasing a 343-run target. Mohammad Kaif picked up the fifth wicket for Bengal, sending back Harpreet Singh Bhatia for 7. MP skipper Shubham Sharma and India southpaw Venkatesh Iyer are at the crease currently for the hosts.

At the Palam A Stadium in New Delhi, Mumbai have defeated Services by nine wickets. Mumbai chase down the 135-run target with ease, as both Angkrish Raghuvanshi (55 not out off 114) and Siddhesh Lad (73 not out off 93) score unbeaten half-centuries to secure six points for their team.

Madhya Pradesh are inching closer to what could be a superb come-from-behind win in Indore. The home team need 100 more runs to chase down a 338-run target, with five wickets in hand and captain Sharma, Iyer both going strong. Meanwhile, Delhi trail Jharkhand by 64 runs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The hosts are batting at 318 for six in response to Jharkhand's 382, and who will take the first-innings lead is the most pertinent question in this match currently.

Bengal strike twice to jump right back on top in their away encounter against Bengal. Iyer falls after getting to his fifty, with Rohit Kumar taking his second wicket. Shahbaz then dislodges MP captain Sharma to take Bengal within three wickets of an outright win.

Things are getting mighty interesting at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Madhya Pradesh now need 52 runs (at the time of typing this) for a win, while Bengal need three wickets. Aryan Pandey and Saransh Jain have compiled 31 runs for the eighth wicket and are both still at the crease. If the duo can add 20 more runs, the visitors might start feeling jittery. Mohammed Shami has picked up one wicket today and would be eager to add more to his match haul of six.

Ayush Badoni has cracked an unbeaten double hundred (205 not out off 216 balls) as Delhi have taken the first-innings lead against Jharkhand at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Delhi get to 388 for 7 in reply to the visitors' 382 all out in the first innings. The match ends in a draw, with no other result possible in the remaining time.

Madhya Pradesh have lost another wicket in the form of Saransh Jain before tea. Shahbaz dismisses the number 9 batter to keep Bengal in the hunt. The hosts now need 15 more runs, with the last two wickets in hand as an exciting final session awaits.

Elsewhere, the Haryana vs Kerala game looks headed for a draw after the visitors have declared at 125 for 2, setting a 253-run target for Ankit Kumar's men with just one session of play remaining.

And Bengal emerge victors! After a see-saw battle on the last day, involving some really good rearguard action by the Madhya Pradesh tail, it is the visitors who have the last laugh. And it is Shami who finishes things off, having Kumar Kartikeya Singh caught by Rohit Kumar to help the visitors eke out a thrilling 11-run win in Indore. Shami ends with three wickets in the innings and seven in the match. Not bad for a comeback after 360 days of rehab, eh?

At the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy in Dehradun, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan have played out a draw. Uttarakhand were batting at 185 for 4 in the third innings when the teams shook hands. The visitors takes the first-innings lead, having scored 660 for 7 declared in response to the hosts' 362 all out.

The Group B match between Vidarbha and Gujarat in Nagpur is tantalizingly poised. The visitors lead by four runs, with three wickets in hand in the third innings. If Vidarbha snare those wickets quickly, they could push for a win in the last few minutes of Day 4.

The Haryana vs Kerala game has ended in a draw in Lahli, as the hosts get to 52 for two after 18 overs in the fourth innings, chasing a 253-run target. Kerala get the first-innings lead, having scored 291 in response to Haryana's 164 all out earlier. Elsewhere, the matches between Manipur and Sikkim, and Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have also ended in draws. Manipur and Karnataka have taken the first-innings leads in the respective matches.

Manipur who took the first innings lead against Sikkim at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium will have to settle for a draw, while the Chattisgarh-Assam game in Raipur also ends in a draw.

Chhattisgarh (First Innings Lead) vs Assam drawn

Vidarbha (First Innings Lead) vs Gujarat drawn

Hyderabad vs Andhra (First Innings Lead) drawn

Uttarakhand vs Rajasthan (First Innings Lead) drawn

UP vs Karnataka (First Innings Lead) drawn

Bengal beat Madhya Pradesh by 11 runs

Haryana vs Kerala (First Innings Lead) drawn

Saurashtra beat Chandigarh by an innings and 59 runs

Delhi (First Innings Lead) vs Jharkhand drawn

Tamil Nadu beat Railways by an innings and 25 runs

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