Brief Score: Jammu and Kashmir 527/6 in 156 overs (Shubham Pundir 121, Yawer Hassan 88, Paras Dogra 70, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 70, Sahil Lotra 54 batting, Prasidh Krishna 3/90) vs Karnataka.
Jammu and Kashmir tightened their grip on the Ranji Trophy final with a commanding batting display, reaching 527 for six against eight-time champions Karnataka before bad light forced an early close on Day 2 here on Wednesday.
Resuming at 284 for 2, J&K capitalised on a placid surface, with six of their top seven batters crossing the 50-run mark. Shubham Pundir, who had laid the foundation with a fine 121, was well-supported by Yawer Hassan (88) and Abdul Samad (61) as the Karnataka bowlers were made to toil for long periods.
Karnataka began the morning with renewed intent after taking the second new ball. Their seamers, Vidyadhar Patil, Vyshak Vijaykumar and Prasidh Krishna, bowled with discipline and extracted appreciable movement. The pressure told when Pundir and Samad fell in quick succession, briefly reviving hopes for the hosts as J&K slipped to 327 for 4.
However, skipper Paras Dogra and Kanhaiya Wadhawan combined to steady the innings with authority. The experienced duo added 110 runs for the fifth wicket, batting with patience and picking the right moments to counterattack. Both brought up fluent half-centuries, scoring 70 each, and wrested back control, guiding J&K to 380 for 4 at lunch before consolidating further in the afternoon session.
Wadhawan was eventually dismissed soon after reaching his fifty, while Dogra was bowled by Shreyas Gopal for a well-crafted 70. Yet, there was no respite for Karnataka. Sahil Lotra, drafted into the XI due to Vanshaj Sharma’s injury, seized his opportunity with a fluent unbeaten 57 at No. 7, becoming the sixth J&K batter to register a half-century in the innings.
Abid Mushtaq provided steady support and was unbeaten on 20 as J&K marched to 478 for 6 at tea. The final session was cut short due to fading light, but Lotra and Mushtaq safely negotiated the period to ensure their side ended the day in complete control at 527 for 6.
With Auqib Nabi still to come, J&K have propelled themselves into a position of authority. The surface remains good for batting, which Karnataka will hope to exploit when their turn comes. For now, though, they still need four more wickets, and the longer that takes, the greater the physical and mental toll on a bowling attack that has already logged heavy miles.
Prasidh Krishna was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 90, while the hosts rotated as many as six bowlers in search of breakthroughs. Karun Nair also rolled his arm over for a couple of overs of part-time off-spin as Karnataka searched for answers on a long, taxing day in the field.
