Andhra still need 270 runs with 7 wickets in hand to avoid an innings defeat against Bengal

Andhra are looking down the barrel as they still need 270 runs to avoid an innings loss with seven wickets in hand against Bengal in their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground in Kalyani.

At close of play on the penultimate day, Andhra were 64 for three with skipper Ricky Bhui batting on 18 off 25 balls with two fours and K Nitish Kumar Reddy on 1 off 16 balls. A lot will depend on the duo as three of their top batters are back in the dressing room.

Andhra lost opener Abhishek Reddy (5) when he was bowled by Akash Deep. The other opener C R Gnaneshwar looked good in his short innings of 20 but he was bowled by Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal and then Shaik Rasheed was stumped by Shakir Habib Gandhi off Shahbaz to leave Andhra delicately placed at 45 for three.

Earlier, marathon man Sudip Kumar Gharami fell short of a well-deserved triple century by just one run. He was bowled by Rasheed on 299 which came off 596 balls and contained 31 fours and six sixes. He was the ninth wicket to fall.

His overnight partner and wicketkeeper Shakir Habib Gandhi too fell short of a century by five runs. He too was trapped leg before by Rasheed for 95 off 229 balls with eight fours and a six. Gandhi added a massive 221 for the seventh wicket off 485 balls with Sudip. While Gandhi contributed 95, Sudip made 115 off 256 balls.

Later, Mohd Shami rubbed salt in Andhra’s wounds as he helped himself to a 33-ball 53 with seven fours and three sixes. Bengal finally ended their innings at 629 in 199.1 overs. Rasheed took four for 63.

Brief scores: Andhra 295 & 64/3 in 24 overs (C R Gnaneshwar 20, Ricky Bhui 18 batting) vs Bengal 629 in 199.1 overs (Sudip Kumar Gharami 299, Sumanta Gupta 81, Shakir Habib Gandhi 95, Mohammed Shami 53; KV Sasikanth 2/59, Saurabh Kumar 2/124, Sk Rasheed 4/63).