Welcome to Sportstar 's live coverage of the second day of the two semifinal contests.
UPDATES
Lots of wickets in both the semifinal contests today. Ishan Porel was the hero for Bengal; his five-wicket haul helped Bengal take a first-innings lead of 190 against Karnataka. Bengal isn't out of the woods yet, though, and Majumdar's slice of luck in the final half hour must be a huge relief for the home side.
In Rajkot, Sheldon Jackson's century, it seems, has given Saurashtra the clear advantage, after Gujarat's batting crumbled in the second half of the day.
Join us, for Day Three, at 9.30 am. Until then, it's goodbye.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | End of the day's play, in Rajkot as well. It's been Saurashtra's day. Jackson scored a century, and then the bowlers chipped away at Gujarat.
Gujarat's score: 119 for 6. It trails by 185 runs. Jaydev Unadkat and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja took two each.
Bengal vs Karnataka | A huge moment in the game. Anustup Majumdar was yet to open his account when he received a delivery from More that rose sharply from a length; Majumdar half-ducked and took his eyes off it as it neared his face and ended up gloving the ball to Manish Pandey at second slip. He turned around to walk, but had to wait as the umpire checked for the front-foot no-ball. And it was a no-ball. No part of More's foot was behind the line as he delivered the ball. Not out.
It's stumps. Bengal 72 for 4.
Bengal vs Karnataka | An on drive from Chatterjee off Prasidh brings him a boundary and takes him to 40. Chatterjee has been quite vigilant in his knock so far.
Bengal vs Karnataka | At Eden Gardens, Prasidh Krishna gets rid of Manoj Tiwary. Tiwary goes for an expansive drive, and ends up edging behind. It was a thick edge, and a straightforward chance for the wicketkeeper.
Bengal four down for 64.
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Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Jadeja has another. A good-length delivery to Chirag Gandhi, it takes his inside edge, on to the thigh pad, and balloons up for the short-leg fielder to take the catch. The umpire — S. Ravi — doesn't give it out, but the decision is overturned after Saurashtra opts for the review.
Gujarat 97 for 6 after 32 overs.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | A cut shot from Parthiv Patel lands into the hands of the point fielder and he's out. It was a short, wide delivery from left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, and Parthiv couldn't resist playing the cut - the problem was there was a point fielder waiting for it.
Gujarat 95 for 5.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Sudip Chatterjee plays the french cut off Ronit More to collect a lucky boundary and bring up Bengal's 50. It's been slow going by Chatterjee and Manoj Tiwary; they are playing cautiously, perhaps trying to see off the threat posed by the seamers.
Bengal vs Karnataka | An eventful fourth over by Ronit More. After Sudip Chatterjee collected two boundaries through extra-cover via sweet drives, he is nearly dismissed. The ball swung in sharply; the left-hander awkwardly played it and the ball struck front knee-roll. A loud appeal for lbw, it's turned down, and Karnataka cannot opt for the review as the on-field umpire thought it would be missing the stumps. The referral cannot be used for this purpose.
However, it looked pretty close, and it was hard to see why the umpire would think it would go on to miss the stumps. Chatterjee survives.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | In Rajkot, Unadkat dismisses Dhruv Raval. Dhruv received a full delivery outside off-stump and he tried to drive it; the ball took his edge and flew to first slip, where Kishan Parmar took a catch above his shoulder.
Unadkat blows the batsman a kiss as a send-off. It's 62 for 4.
Bengal vs Karnataka | With two inswinging deliveries, Mithun picks up two wickets. Abhimanyu Easwaran's poor form continues as he fails to negotiate an incoming delivery; the ball goes through him, ricochets off his body and knocks back the off-stump.
In the same over, new batsman Arnab Nandi gets a similar delivery to play, slightly fuller. He looks to flick it, and misses it. He is out lbw. Bengal 32 for 3.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Abhimanyu Mithun strikes! Bengal loses a wicket only four balls into the second innings. Opener Abhishek Kumar Raman departs caught behind off Abhimanyu Mithun for one off three balls. 2 for 1.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | With No. 3 Bhargav Merai's dismissal, Gujarat is three down and it's tea, at the SCA Stadium in Rajkot. Merai tried to play a drive off Prerak Mankad and got an edge, the ball was pouched by Sheldon Jackson at second slip.
The dismissal arrived minutes after a dropped catch in the slip cordon. Dhruv, batting on 11, edged left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya and since there was a small gap between where the second and third slip fielders stood, the man at third slip, Harvik Desai, came across to his right and dropped the catch. The ball would have landed in the lap of second slip had Hardik not decided to move.
But Saurashtra would be buoyed by the good start; it has three top-order wickets. Gujarat 37 for 3, it trails by 267 runs.
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Bengal vs Karnataka | Ronit More tries to fend off a short delivery from Akash Deep, the ball touches his gloves and Shreevats Goswami, the wicketkeeper, takes the catch.
Karnataka has been bowled out for 122. A lead of 190 for Bengal.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Gowtham falls to the short delivery as well. He plays the upper cut, too, off Akash Deep, and is caught by the substitute fielder at third man. Karnataka nine down for 121.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Five wickets for Ishan Porel. He bowls a bouncer to Mithun, who hooks it; he is caught by the fielder at fine leg — Akash Deep. Karnataka 121 for 8.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Mithun flays one through the off-side for yet another boundary, and it brings up the 50 partnership. It took just 40 deliveries for the two batsmen to score these 50 runs.
ALSO READ | What next for Sheldon Jackson?
Bengal vs Karnataka | Akash Deep could have had his second wicket, but Arnab Nandi was too close to the rope to come in and take the catch. Abhimanyu Mithun had played the upper cut off a short delivery, and Arnab ran in but couldn't get to the ball; he dived and the ball fell in front of him and knocked him on his head.
K. Gowtham and Mithun are played aggressively, perhaps taking a cue from Bengal whose lower-order batsmen had done the same thing. The two have hit six fours between them and a six. 100 is up for Karnataka.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Wickets in Rajkot as well. Gujarat has had an unsettling start to its innings. It's two down, as both openers have been dismissed. Priyank Panchal was dismissed lbw by Jaydev Unadkat, before Samit Gohil left alone an incoming delivery from left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya and found his off stump knocked out of the ground.
Here's Shayan Acharya: Chetan Sakariya strikes as Gujarat loses its second wicket for just one run. The visiting side is now feeling the heat. Samit Gohil goes back after scoring a solitary run. Huge cheer as the stumps were rattled.
The score: 1 for 2.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Porel has rocked Karnataka, it's crumbling. It's seven wickets down now.
The slip fielders have been in business since the start of the innings, and more offerings come their way. First, Padikkal edges Porel and is caught by Anustup Majumdar at third slip; in the next over, K. L. Rahul plays a cut stroke off Mukesh but cannot keep it down and is caught by Abhishek Raman at deep point; Porel induces another edge in his next over, and S. Sharath is out caught by Abhimanyu Easwaran at first slip.
Porel has four wickets now. The score: 88 for 7 in the 29th over.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Saurashtra has been bowled out for 304; Prerak Mankad and Chetan Sakariya were dismissed cheaply. Mankad was dismissed bowled by Nagwaswalla, who finished with five wickets, and No. 11 Sakariya fell for a duck, caught behind off left-arm spinner Axar Patel.
That catch was Parthiv's third of the innings.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Bengal opts for the DRS review after an lbw appeal against Devdutt Padikkal is turned down. There's bat involved, so it remains not out.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Jadeja fends off a short delivery from Nagwaswalla and hands a catch to short leg. Saurashtra is eight down now. Jadeja departs for 15. It's 297 for 8, Nagwaswalla has four wickets now.
Jaydev Unadkat, the Saurashtra captain, is the new batsman. He gets off the mark off the first delivery he faces, hooking Nagwaswalla for a boundary through fine leg.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Manish Pandey has been dismissed bowled by Mukesh Kumar. It's the first wicket for the right-arm seamer who had been probing now and then with the new ball. A reward to him for his efforts. Karnataka four down.
The ball came into the batsman off a good length, and breached his defence. The middle stump was knocked out of the ground. Mukesh, naturally, was cock-a-hoop.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Manish Pandey pulls a short delivery from Mukesh Kumar to collect a boundary through midwicket, and it brings up the fifty for Karnataka. The partnership between K. L. Rahul and Manish Pandey is now 17.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | It's lunch, in Rajkot. Here's Shayan Acharya : Saurashtra 290 for 7. Three wickets in hand and still a lot to play for. Fans are giving a standing ovation to the players from both the sides.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Now, a narrow escape for Prerak Mankad. Mankad gets an edge off Axar Patel — it was a full, looping delivery — and Rujul Bhatt at slip stood too wide to be able to snaffle the chance. He dived to his left but the ball eluded him; if only he had been a step or two closer to the wicketkeeper, he would have taken it.
Bengal vs Karnataka | A narrow escape for new batsman Manish Pandey. He edges a delivery from Mukesh Kumar, and the ball travels to Manoj Tiwary at second slip. The ball dies on Tiwary as he takes the catch, and he signals to his team-mates it may have bounced before settling into his hands. The soft signal is not-out, ie, the umpires think the ball had bounced. But the umpires ask for the third umpire's verdict. Replays show it was mighty close, and the ball had bounced centimetres before.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Here's our correspondent Shayan Acharya: National selector, Sharandeep Singh, is at the stands watching the fixture. Will Sheldon Jackson's consistent performance help him earn a India A call up at least? Time will tell...
Bengal vs Karnataka | Karnataka three down now. Akash Deep bowls a full delivery outside off stump, K. V. Siddharth attempts a drive, gets an edge and the ball nestles into the hands of Manoj Tiwary at second slip. Siddharth departs for 14 (39b, 2x4).
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | And now Jackson departs. He gets an edge off a sharp, accurate delivery in the corridor, and Parthiv Patel doesn't make any error this time and celebrates by throwing the ball to the ground after pouching the offering. Kalaria is excited as well.
Saurashtra seven down for 266. Two new batsmen at the crease now — Prerak Mankad and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | And he's out. Jani brings out his front leg to meet the incoming delivery from Kalaria, and since he wasn't offering a stroke, it was ripe for an lbw dismissal. The umpire gives it out; from the other end, Sheldon Jackson gestures to his umpire to opt for the DRS, but does he opt for it? The umpire steps in and tells something to both batsmen. Jani makes his way back to the dressing room.
Six down now, Saurashtra. It's 266 for 6.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Sheldon Jackson steers a delivery from outside the off stump to the third-man boundary to get to his century. Lets out a roar, takes his helmet off and then kneels down for a prayer. A patient, responsible knock from him; held Saurashtra's innings together.
In the next over, bowled by Roosh Kalaria, Chirag Jani gently on-drives to collect a boundary and bring up the 100 partnership.
Here's Shayan Acharya, our correspondent, who is at the ground: Sheldon Jackson is doing what he does best! The Saurashtra batsman brings up his second century of the Ranji Trophy season, against Gujarat in the semifinal. Big moment for the 33-year-old.
Bengal vs Karnataka | A sharp delivery from Ishan Porel, on an off-stump line, on a good length, it squared K. L. Rahul up. and the ball, after a big deflection, is caught by gully. Porel and the fieldsmen surrounding the batsmen go up in a loud appeal; it's given not out by the umpire. A DRS referral, and the third umpire confirms through replays that the deflection was off the thigh and that there wasn't any bat involved.
Bengal has three reviews remaining.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Chirag Jani leans into a drive through extra cover off one of the two left-arm seamers to move to 24. Sheldon Jackson, at the other end, is batting on 89 (184b, 12x4, 2x6). It's drinks, at the SCA stadium in Rajkot. Saurashtra 247 for 5.
Bengal vs Karnataka | And another. Porel bowls full and straight, Karun Nair drives and the ball takes the outside edge and carries to first slip, where Anustup Majumdar takes a low catch. Porel and his team-mates celebrate; it's 5-2.
Right-arm seamer Mukesh Kumar, at the other end, is spraying the ball all over the place.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Bengal has a wicket in the first over of Karnataka's innings. Ishan Porel, the fast bowler, gets rid of R. Samarth for a duck. He brings out an edge and Manoj Tiwary in the slip cordon takes the catch. Karnataka 1 for 1.
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Another dropped catch in this contest for Saurashtra. And another seemingly straightforward opportunity. Sheldon Jackson, batting on 84, tries to cut Nagwaswalla and gets a thick edge through to the wicketkeeper, who drops it. Parthiv Patel wasn't securely behind that one; the ball hits his gloves as he was shaping to pouch it awkwardly and travels downwards into his pads and then the ground.
A reprieve for Jackson; will it be costly for Gujarat?
Saurashtra vs Gujarat | Meanwhile, at the SCA stadium in Rajkot, Saurashtra continues to bat slowly. Here's our correspondent Shayan Acharya with the update: Half an hour into the second day's play and Saurashtra has added 12 runs to its overnight score of 217 for 5. Sheldon Jackson and Chirag Jani trying to ensure there's no slip-up.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Bengal has been bowled out for 312. Ronit More bowls a perfect delivery - good length, on an off-stump line, hitting the top of off stump. No. 11 Ishan Porel had no clue about that one.
Majumdar stays unbeaten on 149.
Bengal vs Karnataka | Porel just hit Prasidh for a boundary to end the 91st over. After being in a spot of bother yesterday, Bengal finally goes past 300. Meanwhile, the second day's play in Rajkot, between Saurashtra and Gujarat, has begun.
Bengal vs Karnataka | 11 more runs added to Bengal's overnight total. Ishan Porel is defending well. Anustup Majumdar hit Prasidh Krishna for a four and a six in the very first over of Day Two. Bengal 286 for 9 in 85 overs.
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Bengal may have recovered well on Day One, thanks to Anustup Majumdar, but will it be enough for a first-innings lead? Bengal's new-ball bowlers will have a task on their hands once Karnataka starts batting.
Yet, even if the score of 275 for 9 seems below less than ideal, the outfit will be buoyed after Majumdar's responsible, uplifting century at the Eden Gardens. With Bengal struggling at 67 for 6 at one stage, Majumdar stuck around and rallied with the tail to help his team get to where it ended up on Day One .
In Rajkot , Saurashtra will hope Sheldon Jackson reaches his century and the lower-order batsmen give him good support. A cluster of wickets in the morning could hand the decisive advantage to Gujarat.
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