Chasing 324 for victory, Jammu and Kashmir closed day three at 77 for two, after bowling out Punjab for 296 in its second innings in their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal at the Motibaugh ground here on Friday.
J&K consolidated on Thursday’s good work by exploiting Friday’s chill first hour conditions to the hilt.
Overnight batsmen Ravi Inder Singh and night watchman Sandeep Sharma, going by their exits, should have encountered problems negotiating the line with a cold and persistent breeze blowing across the ground.
Ravi snicked one from Ram Dayal that skidded in and part-time stumper Adil Rishi, deputing for an unwell Obaid Haroon, held it low.
Umar Nazir then deftly dislodged Sharma’s bails, the stumps quite unmoved by the goings-on. Mudhasir drew blood with his first delivery, rapping Gitansh Khera on the pads.
It took the guile of Parvez Rasool to get rid of Yuvraj Singh, who had weathered the seam attack and begun to look threatening.
Lofting Rasool over long on for a six, the southpaw’s flamboyance got the better of him four balls later when he attempted an encore and holed out to Beig, running in from the aforementioned position to clasp the ball.
Mandeep Singh then combined with Gurkeerat Singh to record their side’s most productive partnership of 111 runs for the seventh wicket. Spanning two sessions the stand helped stem the rot that had set in. Rasool had to step in again to separate this well settled duo, thumping Gurkeerat, attempting a forward defensive stroke, on the pads.
Off the very next ball, the J&K captain had more reason to exult, trapping his counterpart Harbhajan Singh, this time on the backfoot.
Manpreet Gony delighted a goodly crowd with some fireworks, one mighty smack off Mudhasir sending the ball soaring and into the neighbouring forest.
More agony was in store for the bearded bowler when in the same over Samiullah Beig at deep mid-wicket grassed a catch that plonked straight into his palms.
Mandeep meanwhile advanced to a well-deserved century, his second this season and seventh of his career. His innings stretched over three and a half hours and was embellished with 13 boundaries. Rasool scalped him too, theintrepid off-spinner finishing with a bag of five for 58.
The scores:
Punjab — 1st innings: 304.
Jammu & Kashmir — 1st innings: 277.
Punjab — 2nd innings: Manan Vohra b Umar 7, Jiwanjot Singh c Beig b Mudhasir 8, Sandeep Sharma b Umar 5, Ravi Inder Singh c Rishi b Ram Dayal 1, Gitansh Khera lbw b Mudhasir 13, Yuvraj c Beig b Rasool 40, Mandeep b Rasool 101, Gurkeerat lbw b Rasool 66, Harbhajan Singh lbw b Rasool 0, Manpreet Gony c Rishi b Rasool 31, V.R.V. Singh (not out) 0; Extras (b-8, lb-6, nb-5, w-5): 24; Total (in 72.2 overs): 296.
Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-15, 3-18, 4-25, 5-50, 6-114, 7-225, 8-225, 9-287.
J & K bowling: Samiullah Beig 13-1-69-0, Umar Nazir 22-4-72-2, Mohammad Mudhasir 10-2-47-2, Ram Dayal 13-4-36-1, Parvez Rasool 14.2-0-58-5.
Jammu & Kashmir — 2nd innings: Adil Rishi c Khera b V.R.V. Singh 34, Bandeep Singh c (sub) Choudhary b Gony 4, Hardeep Singh (batting) 20, Ian Dev Singh (batting) 17; Extras (lb-1, nb-1): 2; Total (for two wkts. in 20 overs): 77.
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-55.
Punjab bowling: Sandeep Sharma 7-1-30-0, Manpreet Gony 6-2-18-1, V.R.V. Singh 6-0-16-1, Harbhajan Singh 1-0-12-0.
