Ranji Trophy semifinal: Sudip Gharami stands tall with marathon knock as Bengal reach 249/5 vs Jammu & Kashmir

Sudip Gharami once again showed grit and patience as he scored his second straight century to put Bengal in a strong position on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday. By stumps, Bengal were 249 for 5, with Gharami unbeaten and firmly in control.

Gharami continued flexing form

Fresh from his marathon 299 in the quarterfinal against Andhra, where he batted for over 15 hours, Gharami looked just as focused. He walked in as early as the second over after Sudip Chatterjee was dismissed for a duck, but never looked under pressure. At the end of the day’s play, he was unbeaten on 136 from 227 balls, an innings built on patience, discipline and smart shot selection. He struck 19 fours and a six in nearly six hours at the crease.

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Gharami smashed eighth first-class century

Gharami first added 85 runs with captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, who made 49 before being bowled by Auqib Nabi. Anushtup Majumdar chipped in with 14 in a steady partnership, but it was the 94-run stand with Shahbaz Ahmed (42) that really pushed Bengal ahead. Shahbaz, however, fell late in the day to a sharp in-cutter from Sunil Kumar, giving Jammu and Kashmir a small opening going into Day Two, especially with the new ball due early.

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Throughout his innings, Gharami showed maturity beyond his years. He waited for loose deliveries, respected good spells and attacked when needed. He handled experienced pacers like Nabi and Yudhvir Singh confidently, and used his feet well against spinner Abid Mushtaq to keep the bowlers from settling. His century, which was the eighth of his first-class career, came with a calm push to deep mid-wicket.

Gharami's performance in Ranji Trophy

This season has been a breakthrough one for the former Bengal U-23 captain. With 787 runs so far, he is among the leading run-scorers in the tournament. With the top three ahead of him no longer in contention, Gharami will be eager to guide Bengal into the final and give himself a chance to finish as the season’s highest run-getter.