All eyes were on India pacer Mohammed Shami during the Ranji Trophy Group C match between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh for obvious reasons. He was playing his first competitive cricket match since November 19, 2023. But Shami’s comeback to cricket did not go according to plans. He made a subdued return, finishing wicket-less from his 10 overs as Bengal struggled against MP on Wednesday. After winning the toss and choosing to field, Madhya Pradesh ended the day at 103/1, having bowled out Bengal for 228 in their first innings. The visitors are aiming for an outright win to keep their slim quarterfinal hopes alive.
Bengal’s bowling attack was weakened by injuries to Ishan Porel and Rishav Vivek, while Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep are on national duty. Shami’s performance was anticipated not only to demonstrate his fitness but also to rejuvenate his state team’s campaign. On the green-top at Holkar Stadium, the 34-year-old Shami, who recently recovered from Achilles tendon surgery, recorded figures of 10-1-34-0.
In his first spell, Shami bowled four overs, conceding 16 runs, with three fours and 17 dot balls. His second spell improved slightly, yielding 6-1-18-0. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be closely monitoring Shami’s fitness, hoping a strong performance will secure him a spot in the Indian squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, starting November 22 in Perth.
Shami brothers in action for Bengal
This match also marked the first competitive outing for Shami alongside his younger brother Mohammed Kaif, who took the only wicket in Madhya Pradesh’s innings by dismissing opener Himanshu Mantri for 13. Meanwhile, the other opener, Shubhranshu Senapati, stood firm, reaching 44 off 103 balls at stumps, with India batter Rajat Patidar remaining unbeaten on 41 after 55 balls.
Earlier, Bengal’s top order faltered dramatically, with opener Shuvam Dey and number four Rohit Kumar departing for golden ducks, and Sudip Chatterjee (15) and Sudip Gharami (10) falling cheaply, leaving the team at 42/4. However, Shahbaz Ahmed played a crucial role in stabilizing the innings with a gritty fifty. When Bengal was at 79/5, Shahbaz partnered with skipper Anustup Majumdar for a vital 96-run stand.
After Anustup’s dismissal, Shahbaz (92) sought his second first-class century but fell short by eight runs. Shami was then seen batting with his brother Kaif for the first time in a competitive match. Aryan Pandey from Madhya Pradesh was the standout bowler with figures of 4/47, while left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya took 4/84.
Koushik’s five in a row
Karnataka seamer Vasuki Koushik claimed a five-wicket haul for the second consecutive match as Uttar Pradesh were bowled out for just 89 at Ekana Stadium.
Koushik finished with 5/20, following his 5/38 against Bengal in their previous game, marking his fourth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Young pacer Vidyadhar Patil supported him well, taking 2/22, while debutant Yashovardhan Parantap chipped in with 1/19.
Together, the Karnataka pacers shared eight wickets as UP lasted just 40.3 overs.
In reply, Karnataka reached 127/5, led by a brisk 68 not out (77 balls) from wicketkeeper-batter Krishnan Shrijith.
Brief ScoresIn Indore: Bengal 228; 51.2 overs (Shahbaz Ahmed 92, Anustup Majumdar 44; Aryan Pandey 4/47, Kulwant Khejroliya 4/84). Madhya Pradesh 103/1; 30 overs.
In Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh 89; 40.3 overs (Sameer Rizvi 25; Vasuki Kaushik 5/20). Karnataka 127/5; 31 overs (Krishnan Shrijith 68 batting, Shreyas Gopal 14 batting).
In Mohali: Bihar 135; 56.2 overs (Ayush Loharuka 63; Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa 3/38) vs Punjab.
In Rohtak: Kerala 138/2; 54 overs (Rohan Kunnummal 55, Akshay Chandran 51 batting) vs Haryana.
