Ranji Trophy: Abhimanyu, Shahbaz keep Bengal in hunt but MP firm favourites to reach final | Cricket News – Times of India
ALUR (Karnataka): Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran's unbeaten 52 after Shahbaz Ahmed's superb all-round show gave Bengal a glimmer of hope even as Madhya Pradesh firmly held the upper hand on the penultimate day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final on Friday. On a difficult fourth day pitch, the India A batter looked flawless and milked the field at ease, slamming six fours in his 104-ball knock as Bengal were precariously placed at 96 for 4, needing another 254 runs to reach the stiff winning target of 350. Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, need six wickets in pursuit of their first Ranji final after 23 years as the match is headed for a thrilling final day finish on Saturday. Shahbaz Ahmed & captain Abhimanyu Easwaran put up fine performances but Madhya Pradesh limited Bengal to 96/4 befor...