Ranji Trophy 2021-22 | Jaiswal packs 181, Bengal to face an uphill task on Day 5

The Prithvi Shaw-led Mumbai extended their dominance over Uttar Pradesh, while Bengal need another 254 runs to script an unlikely win as exciting Day 5 awaits in the semi-final round of the 2022 Ranji Trophy season.

Here is a look at the highlights from the two semi-final bouts after the end of Day 4:

1st semi-final: Madhya Pradesh vs Bengal

Madhya Pradesh began Day 4 morning at 163-2. Courtesy of captain Aditya Shrivastava’s absorbing 82, the MP batters charted 281 in their second innings, thus setting up a 350-run target for Bengal in the first of the two semi-finals. Inform Rajat Patidar and skipper Shrivastava added 38 more runs in the first hour, and then Shahbaz Ahmed removed his IPL teammate leg before wicket. After that, wickets started to flurry, courtesy of brilliant bowling from Shahbaz (5-79) and Pradipta Pramanick (4-65).

The Bengal batters faced 37 overs in the day and lost four wickets, including a first-ball duck for their opener Abhishek Raman. Skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran is batting at 52*, alongside the richly experienced Anustup Majumdar, and will resume the run-chase tomorrow.

Brief scores:

Madhya Pradesh: 341 (105.3)

Himanshu Mantri 165, Akshat Raghuwanshi 63

Mukesh Kumar 4-66, Shahbaz Ahmed 3-86

Bengal: 273 (89.2)

Shahbaz Ahmed 116, Manoj Tiwary 102

Puneet Datey 3-48, Kumar Kartikeya 3-61

Madhya Pradesh: 281 (114.2)

Aditya Shrivastava 82, Rajat Patidar 79

Shahbaz Ahmed 5-79, Pradipta Pramanik 4-65

Bengal: 96-4 (37)

Abhimanyu Easwaran 52*, Sudip Kumar Gharami 19

Kumar Kartikeya 3-35, Saransh Jain 1-44

Bengal needs another 254 runs to win.

2nd semi-final: Mumbai vs Uttar Pradesh

Mumbai batsmen batted out the entirety of Day 4 to move from 133-1 to 449-4. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (181) and number 3 batter Armaan Jaffer (127) hammered twin tons in their 286-run second-wicket stand. Eventually, both the lads were dismissed, and now it's Shams Mulani and Sarfaraz Khan at either end of the 22 yards. The equation seems improbable for Uttar Pradesh, and at the end of Day 4, Mumbai’s lead stands at 662 runs.

Brief scores:

Mumbai: 393 (140.4)

Hardik Tamore 115, Yashasvi Jaiswal 100

Karan Sharma 4-46, Saurabh Kumar 3-107

Uttar Pradesh: 180 (54.3)

Shivam Mavi 48*, Madhav Kaushik 38

Tushar Deshpande 3-34, Tanush Kotian 3-35

Mumbai: 449-4 (140)

Yashasvi Jaiswal 181, Armaan Jaffer 127

Prince Yadav 2-69, Shivam Mavi 1-36

Mumbai leads by 662 runs