In a game that wildly swung both ways in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, champions of 2021-22, held their nerve to inflict heartbreak on Andhra to enter the Ranji Trophy semi-finals. Playing a key role in their defence of 170 was fast bowler Anubhav Agarwal, who picked up career-best figures of 6 for 52 as Andhra were bowled out for 165 while chasing 170.

Andhra’s dreams of a maiden semi-final berth looked possible at 112 for 4, before Agarwal cracked opened the game with wickets in consecutive overs. He first had Karan Shinde lbw and then dismissed Hanuma Vihari, the captain, caught behind. Until then, Vihari had looked assured in defence to make a stonewalling 55 off 136 balls. When Agarwal dismissed Shoaib Khan for a first-ball duck, Andhra were 118 for 7, still 52 away.

Ashwin Hebbar, the allrounder, kept fighting and added 32 for the ninth wicket with fast bowler Girinath Reddy. The pair batted out 13 overs to frustrate MP before Agarwal returned to dismiss Girinath.

The final wicket was picked up by their new import, Kulwant Khejroliya, the left-arm fast bowler, when he dismissed Hebbar for 22 as MP pulled off a heist that looked a tad difficult when they were shot out for 107 in the second innings.

That total, as modest as it may seem, was only possible because Himanshu Mantri, the wicketkeeper, batted with tremendous grit to score 43. In the overall context, his scores of 49 and 43 in the match were massively significant, even though Agarwal was named Player of the Match for his haul of 9 for 85.

Andhra would reflect upon several moments where they seemed to have the upper hand, only to let it slip. In the first innings, they bundled out MP for 234, but couldn’t capitalise with the bat as they fell behind by 62 runs.

Then they came storming back through Nitish Reddy and KV Sasikanth, who picked up seven wickets between them, as MP were skittled for 107, before they collapsed in the second innings again.

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R Sai Kishore picked up a match haul of 9 for 93 along with a combative half-century in the first innings to help Tamil Nadu trounce defending champions Saurashtra, the defending champions, by an innings and 33 runs. Their quarter-final win in Coimbatore now gives TN their first semi-final entry since 2016-17.

Sai Kishore, with impressive numbers of 47 wickets at an average of 18.78, rose to the top of the wickets tally for the season. He has also managed two half-centuries with the bat.

It was his exploits with the ball that made a massive difference in the semi-final though. He picked up 5 got 66 to restrict Saurashtra to 183 in the first innings, 83 of those by Harvik Desai.

TN were wobbling at 134 for 4 when Sai Kishore was dismissed. However, Baba Indrajith and Boopathi Kumar, in only his maiden first-class season, hit half-centuries during a 119-run stand and powered TN into the lead. Key contributions from the lower order then gave them a 155-run cushion.

Saurashtra’s second innings started poorly as they were reduced to 20 for 2 courtesy fast bowler Sandeep Warrier. Cheteshwar Pujara held the innings together briefly to top score with 46, but Sai Kishore ran rampant again, and when Pujara became the eighth batter to be dismissed, an innings defeat was inevitable.