First time finalists Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) made an astounding statement on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy final against eight-time champions Karnataka at the KSCA stadium in Hubli on Tuesday. At stumps, Jammu & Kashmir were on a healthy and confident 284 for two in 87 overs.
The men from the Himalayas not only crossed the Vindhya range but also tamed the famed Karnataka bowling attack. One can say that they literally ground the attack to the dust to steal the thunder from their famed opponents. The Jammu & Kashmir batters showed nerves of steel in overcoming a testing time from the Karnataka pacers, especially in the first hour of play.
Leading the fight was No.3 bat Shubham Pundir who was batting on a composed 117 and giving him company was Abdul Samad on 52. Skipper Paras Dogra had to retire hurt on 9 after taking a blow but is likely to come out to bat when a wicket falls.
Unless, the Karnataka bowlers come out with something special on the second day, Jammu & Kashmir are set for a long batting session. Their mantra seems to be ‘bat, bat and bat on’. That is something which the Karnataka batters are known for. The Jammu & Kashmir batters possibly want to do the same and give their opponents a taste of their own medicine.
Hussain shows the way
Electing to bat, Jammu & Kashmir did not find the going easy as Karnataka pacers Vidyadhar Patil, Vyshak and Prasidh tested their top order with the new ball. The trio extracted plenty of swing and seam movement, as well as bounce, to beat the bat on multiple occasions. Jammu and Kashmir managed just 25 runs in the first 14 overs, during which they lost opener Qamran Iqbal (6), who was brought in for Shubham Khajuria.
Pundir joined Yawer Hussain and the duo settled down without making much ado. The duo went on to add 139 for the second wicket to establish a foundation for their side.
Pundir and Hussain may not have been in control when the ball was new and the bowlers fresh, but once things settled down Hussain didn’t mind throwing his bat whenever the line was wide or the length too short. In the 15th over, he punched Prasidh for a four by confidently riding the bounce of a shortish delivery. Next ball, he opened the face of the bat to drive for three through point.
Next over, Hussain hit Vyshak for back-to-back boundaries. In the 17th over, Pundir drove Prasidh for two carbon-copy boundaries down the ground. That helped J&K snatch the momentum from Karnataka, who introduced Shreyas Gopal in the 19th over, but that only made things worse for them.
The legspinner’s first spell of five overs cost 26, as he often bowled short and was punished by Hussain and Pundir, who looked increasingly assured with every passing over. Yawer got to his fifty off 77 balls with 10 fours at the start of the 27th over, the last of Gopal’s first spell, and J&K went to lunch at 104 for 1.
Pundir and Samad grind it out
After the break, Jammu and Kashmir batters became more assured and kept piling on the runs. Pundir went on to get to the 50 but he took 100 balls while stroking eight fours. Hussain continued to get the runs in his own characteristic way. Karnataka, finally, got the break after 50 overs of play. Hussain was caught by Rahul off a Prasidh Krishna delivery. Hussain fell after getting his maiden first-class half-century. His 88 came off 150 balls with 13 boundaries.
Paras Dogra and Pundir shut the door as they made sure that Karnataka did not get another wicket. They battled for 72 balls while adding 22 to the total before Paras retired hurt after making nine. He retired hurt in the 63rd over when Vyshak pinged him on the glove with another short ball.
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That brought Abdul Samad to the crease and Jammu & Kashmir gained total control of the proceedings. Samad went 4, 4, 4 off Vidyadhar in the 69th over, and as if that aggression also rubbed onto Pundir, the latter launched Shetty for the first six of the innings in the next over. The duo kept going and there was hardly anything that Karnataka skipper Devdutt Padikkal could do to stop the batters.
Pundir reached his century with another six as he cleared the huge boundary at deep midwicket by skipping down against Shetty, making Karnataka look clueless as the final hour neared. Pundir’s 100 off 186 balls with 10 fours and two sixes.
Gopal’s ineffective day continued when Samad thumped him for six and four in the 85th over, before reaching his fifty off 64 balls in the penultimate over of the day. Samad struck five fours and a six in his unbeaten innings.
SCOREBOARD
Jammu & Kashmir (1st Innings): Qamran Iqbal c Rahul b Krishna 6, Yawer Hussain c Rahul b Krishna 88, Shubham Pundir (batting) 117, Paras Dogra (retd hurt) 9, Abdul Samad (batting) 52; Extras: (B2, LB8, W2) 12. Total: (For Two wickets in 87 overs) 284.
Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-157.
Bowling: Vidyadhar Patil 16-0-66-0, Vijaykumar Vyshak 18-6-25-0, Prasidh Krishna 16-5-36-2, Shreyas Gopal 17-1-79-0, Shikhar Shetty 20-0-68-0.
