Ranji Trophy final: Pundir, Yawer help J & K take opening day’s honours

The Jammu and Kashmir dressing room this season has had a revolving door of stars. On day one in all its maiden Ranji Trophy closing, versus Karnataka on the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium right here on Tuesday, it discovered two extra entrants in opener Yawer Hassan and one-drop Shubham Pundir.

Yawer, 22, had totalled simply 61 runs from eight innings coming into this all-important contest. Pundir, 27, had fared higher with 205 runs —together with one solitary knock of 165 — from 5 visits to the crease.

However Yawer made a wonderful 88 (150b, 13×4) earlier than Shubham scored his fourth First Class century (117 batting, 221b, 12×4, 2×6) to assist the guests attain a more-than-healthy 284 for 2. At stumps, Pundir had the free-stroking Abdul Samad (52 batting, 67b, 5×4, 1×6) standing vigil alongside.

Yawer Hassan missed out on a century.
| Picture Credit score:
Okay. MURALI KUMAR

J & Okay misplaced the seasoned Shubham Khajuria and younger all-rounder Vanshaj Sharma to accidents previous to the match. Skipper Paras Dogra retired harm after speedsters Prasidh Krishna and V. Vyshak roughed him up on the neck and proper hand, respectively. In that context, Yawer’s and Pundir’s efforts got here like a godsend.

It was, admittedly, an excellent batting floor and Dogra known as it proper on the toss. It additionally helped that regardless of possessing a formidable assault that was cheered on by an almost 5,000-strong, ticketed crowd, Karnataka used the pink cherry nicely solely in patches.

On a pitch the place there was good bounce and the occasional off-the-seam motion, Prasidh and Vyshak threatened once in a while. However Yawer and Pundir displayed admirable mettle, and interspersed it with bursts of attacking mojo.

Shreyas Gopal (17-1-79-0) and Vidyadhar Patil (16-0-66-0) have been the retailers because the J & Okay duo mixed for 139 runs after Qamran Iqbal fell early, caught by Okay.L. Rahul at second slip off Prasidh.

Pundir was reprieved on 53 when Kruthik Krishna missed a stumping off left-arm spinner Shikhar Shetty. As if to rub salt within the wound, Pundir creamed the subsequent ball by way of cowl for 4.

Prasidh ended the affiliation by excising Yawer, 12 runs in need of a deserved century, with Rahul finishing one other wonderful catch. That marked the beginning of a interval of sustained stress as Karnataka didn’t enable a boundary for almost 10 overs.

However the closest it got here to taking a wicket was when substitute Okay.V. Aneesh dropped Dogra at gully off Vyshak. Dogra did depart the sector injured, however an unruffled Pundir accomplished his hundred by hitting Shikhar for a fierce six over deep mid-wicket.

If Karnataka doesn’t pull up its socks, Wednesday might be damaging.

The scores: Jammu & Kashmir — 1st innings: Qamran Iqbal c Rahul b Prasidh 6, Yawer Hassan c Rahul b Prasidh 88, Shubham Pundir (batting) 117, Paras Dogra (retd. harm) 9, Abdul Samad (batting) 52; Extras (b-2, lb-8, w-2): 12; Whole (for 2 wkts. in 87 overs): 284.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-157.

Karnataka bowling: Vidyadhar 16-0-66-0, Vyshak 18-6-25-0, Prasidh 16-5-36-2, Shreyas 17-1-79-0, Shikhar 20-0-68-0.

Toss: J & Okay.