Abid Mushtaq’s Nine-Wicket Haul Powers North Zone Past West Zone Into Duleep Trophy Semifinals

Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Abid Mushtaq delivered a sensational match-winning performance, claiming a stellar nine-wicket haul to lead North Zone to a remarkable 52-run victory over West Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Entering the fixture as underdogs, North Zone sealed their spot in the semifinals, where they will face South Zone.Dramatic Morning Collapse on Day 4Resuming the final morning with West Zone needing just 67 runs for victory and North requiring three wickets, the match was decided in a sharp, 6.3-over burst.Abid Mushtaq struck immediately on the second delivery of Day 4, beating Tanush Kotian’s defense with a low delivery that crashed into middle stump. Shortly after, Tushar Deshpande fell for 17, attempting an aggressive shot against Mushtaq only to edge it to Abdul Samad at slip. The match ended three deliveries later when Urvil Patel was trapped lbw for 25 by Nishant Sindhu, wrapping up West Zone's chase and sparking celebrations for North Zone.Dramatic Turnaround and Star PerformancesThe dramatic finish capped off a stunning fightback that began late on Day 3. West Zone had appeared comfortably positioned at 211 for 4, anchored by a century partnership between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Musheer Khan. However, the momentum shifted decisively when Gaikwad was run out for 66, followed shortly by Musheer Khan falling just short of a century at 96, triggering a collapse against North's disciplined spin attack.Beyond Mushtaq's heroics with the ball, several other players delivered crucial contributions:Arshdeep Singh: Returning to red-ball cricket after nearly a year away, Arshdeep made an immediate impact by claiming four wickets across the match, troubling the opposition top-order with late movement.Anshul Kamboj: Instrumental with both bat and ball, Kamboj scored a resilient 60 in the first innings to rescue North from a precarious 161 for 7, later removing Shams Mulani and Kotian to secure a vital 64-run first-innings lead.Ayush Badoni: Supported the team's total with twin half-centuries across the match.Upcoming Semifinal ClashWith the quarter-final victory secured, North Zone advances to the semifinals, where they will square off against South Zone, led by Tilak Varma. In the other semifinal fixture, East Zone will battle defending champions Central Zone. Both high-stakes matches are scheduled to commence on August 30 at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.