Left-arm spinners Abid Mushtaq and Nishant Sindhu needed only 6.3 overs on the final morning to finish off West Zone and send North Zone into the Duleep Trophy semifinals with a 52-run victory.
West resumed the day at 220/7 while chasing 287, with Urvil Patel on 25 and Tanush Kotian yet to open his account. However, the chase did not last long as West were bowled out for 234 in 57.3 overs.
Mushtaq, who had already troubled the West batters throughout the game, struck early on the final morning. He dismissed Kotian and then removed Tushar Deshpande, who made just five after facing 18 balls. Deshpande tried to stay at the crease but was eventually caught by Abdul Samad.
Mushtaq finished with 4/60 in 22 overs and missed out on another five-wicket haul. Sindhu then brought the match to an end by trapping Urvil lbw.
Mushtaq was the clear standout performer and was named Player of the Match for his excellent figures of 9/99 across the two innings.
The biggest moment of the game came on the third day when West captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was run out for 66 off 70 balls. He had put West in a strong position alongside Musheer Khan, with the pair adding 111 runs.
At 195/3 while chasing 287, West appeared to be in complete control. But the game changed quickly. They lost four wickets for just 25 runs in less than seven overs, including the wickets of Gaikwad and Musheer, and suddenly found themselves under serious pressure.
The pitch also made batting increasingly difficult, with several deliveries keeping low and the spinners getting plenty of assistance. In those conditions, West needed 67 runs with only three wickets left on the final morning. It was a much tougher task than the number suggested.
North Zone’s win was especially impressive considering they had been bowled out for 251 in their first innings.
The quarterfinal had looked evenly poised for most of the contest, unlike the more one-sided East Zone versus North East Zone match.
However, North Zone’s team selection had also attracted attention before the game. Coaches Ajay Sharma and Sarandeep Singh decided to leave out Sanat Sangwan, who had finished as the third-highest run-scorer in the last Ranji Trophy season with 828 runs, and brought in Yash Dhull instead.
Dhull could not make an impact, scoring nine in the first innings before being dismissed for a duck in the second. His poor outing is likely to raise further questions over the selection call.
Who will be North Zone's opponent in the semifinal?
North Zone will now face South Zone in the semifinals, while East Zone will take on Central Zone. Both semifinal matches are scheduled to begin at the BCCI Centre of Excellence from August 30.
Brief Scores
North Zone 251 and 222. West Zone 187 and 234 all out (Musheer Khan 96, Ruturaj Gaikwad 66; Abid Mushtaq 4/60).