LUCKNOW, Feb. 19 -- Eight-time champions Karnataka on Wednesday virtually sealed their berth in the Ranji Trophy final against Jammu and Kashmir with an unprecedented 802-run lead on Day 4 of their semi-final against hosts Uttarakhand here. Young Ravichandran Smaran starred again, hitting his second ton (127 off 149 balls).His knock propelled Karnataka to 299/6 in the second innings, underscoring their batting depth ahead of the title clash starting February 26 in Bengaluru. Trailing by 587 runs in the first innings, Uttarakhand were bowled out for 233 at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. That gave Karnataka a commanding 503-run first-innings lead after resuming at the overnight score of 149/5. Pacer Vyshak Vijayakumar ignited the collapse, dismissing Saurabh Rawat for 14 in the first over, then castling nightwatchman Lakshya Raichandani (55, 174b, 10x4) soon after. The hosts slipped to 175/9, but lower-order fighter Aditya Rawat fought gamely, scoring unbeaten on 45 off 38 balls with the help of nine hits to the fence as Uttarakhand nudged past 200. Vyshak and Vidyadhar Patil shared six wickets as their seam movement exploited the wearing pitch to rattle Uttarakhand's middle order. As expected, forgoing the follow-on despite the massive lead, Karnataka prioritised match simulation for the final. Captain Devdutt Padikkal promoted lower-order batters Kruthik Krishna and Shreyas Gopal for vital game time and Kruthik used the opportunity with 52-run knock. This strategic gambit allowed fringe players to build confidence, while seniors like Smaran fine-tuned rhythm on a surface still offering runs but hinting at turn. The 22-year-old Smaran once again shouldered the load after Uttarakhand snared four early wickets, leaving Karnataka at 122/4. Smaran forged a match-defining 168-run fifth-wicket stand with first innings centurion KL Rahul (70*, 67b, 3x4, 5x6), blending aggression with poise. His 127 in 149 balls with the help of 12 boundaries and three sixes mostly came from his cover drives and lofted sixes. The innings also mirrored his first-innings 135 that powered Karnataka's initial 736. On Tuesday, in a post-match conversation, Smaran had credited contributions from Karun Nair (nearly 700 runs), Devdutt Padikkal (close to 500), and Rahul. In fact, this ton spree cements his breakout season, leading Karnataka's charts amid Test stars. Karnataka's 299/6 swelled their overall lead to 802, a Ranji semi-final record. At Kalyanai, sixty seven years after their maiden appearance, Jammu and Kashmir stormed into the Ranji Trophy finals for the first time on Wednesday, upstaging two-time former champions Bengal by six wickets in the semifinals here to add another historic chapter to a fairytale season so far. Auqib Nabi's stunning nine-wicket match haul and their IPL star Abdul Samad's fearless strokeplay ensured that the side once labelled "perennial underachievers" now stands one step away from the title. Chasing a modest 126 at the Bengal Cricket Academy ground, J&K rode on Samad's unbeaten 30 off 27 balls (3x6, 1x4) and rookie Vanshaj Sharma's composed 43 not out off 83 ball (4x4) as the pair stitched an unbroken 55-run stand for the fourth wicket to seal history on the fourth and penultimate day of the semifinal. In a heartwarming gesture, Samad, who had done the bulk of the damage, allowed the 22-year-old Vanshaj to finish it in style and the youngster launched Mukesh Kumar over long-on for six to spark wild celebrations in the visiting camp. Jammu and Kashmir had played 334 Ranji matches before this season, winning only 45. It took them 44 years to register their first victory, against Services in 1982-83. Knockout appearances were rare. A breakthrough came in 2013-14 when they edged Goa on net run rate to reach the quarterfinals, and in 2015-16 they stunned Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium under state icon Parveez Rasool. But consistency eluded them for decades as this season, under coach Ajay Sharma and captain Paras Dogra, they transformed belief into results.After an opening loss to Mumbai, they bounced back with innings wins over Rajasthan and key victories against Delhi and Hyderabad to enter the knockouts....