Jammu and Kashmir cricket team are just a step away from winning their first-ever Ranji Trophy title after a strong performance against Karnataka cricket team in the final on Friday.
Fast bowler Auqib Nabi and opener Qamran Iqbal played key roles in putting Jammu and Kashmir in control on the fourth day of the five-day match.
Iqbal remained unbeaten on 94, scoring his seventh half-century in first-class cricket. By the end of the day, J&K were 186 for four in their second innings, taking their overall lead to a massive 477 runs.
Earlier, Nabi claimed his seventh five-wicket haul of the season, finishing with 5 for 54. His brilliant spell helped bowl out Karnataka for 293 runs. J&K had scored 584 in their first innings, earning a big lead of 291 runs.
Karnataka’s innings depended heavily on a fighting 160 from former captain Mayank Agarwal, but his effort did not make much difference to the match situation.
When play resumed in the morning with Karnataka at 220 for five, Agarwal and Kruthik Krishna added more than 80 runs for the sixth wicket, trying to reduce the deficit. However, J&K struck back after taking the second new ball.
Spinner Sahil Lotra dismissed Kruthik, and left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar removed Vidyadhar Patil, keeping J&K on top. Soon after, Nabi trapped Agarwal leg-before-wicket, and the DRS confirmed the decision, ending Karnataka’s main hope.
With a day and a half left, Karnataka would have wanted to bowl out J&K cheaply and chase a target in the fourth innings, as they had done earlier this season.
They started well, reducing J&K to 11 for two. But Iqbal steadied the innings, adding 61 runs with captain Paras Dogra and 73 more with Abdul Samad. His confident stroke play, often stepping back in the crease to create space and hit boundaries, entertained the crowd.
At one point, Karnataka pacer Vysakh Vijayakumar exchanged words with Iqbal, and on-field umpire Rohan Pandit had to step in to calm things down.
Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, arrived in Hubballi to watch what could be a historic title win for his state team on Saturday.
Mithun Manhas, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), also returned to the city after a short visit to Chennai, where he attended India’s T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Zimbabwe. Other top BCCI officials are expected to be present for the final day.(KINS)
