Srinagar, Oct 04: Jammu and Kashmir’s hopes of completing a successful run chase evaporated in dramatic fashion as Rest of India bowled them ouqt for 111 to register a 167-run victory in the Irani Cup at the Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.
Chasing 279, J&K, as per details available with GNS, reached 65 for two before losing their last eight wickets for just 46 runs. Mukesh Kumar spearheaded the collapse with a six-wicket haul, finishing with 6 for 33 as Rest of India wrapped up the match in 28.4 overs.
The defeat came after J&K had established a 41-run first-innings lead and reduced Rest of India to 197 for eight in their second essay, only for Ravichandran Smaran to produce a match-defining 135 and revive the visitors’ innings.
Rest of India, after being dismissed for 237 in their first innings, were kept under pressure by the J&K attack. Shikhar Mohan top-scored with 60, while Smaran made 68 and Sarfaraz Khan contributed 45.
Sunil Kumar and Lone Nasir Muzaffar claimed three wickets apiece for J&K, with Umar Nazir Mir taking two.
J&K’s first innings appeared to be in danger of ending with a deficit after they slipped to 166 for eight. Captain Paras Dogra, however, anchored the recovery with 75, while Abdul Samad made 57.
Lone Nasir then counter-attacked from the lower order, smashing 64 off 58 balls with eight fours and three sixes. His contribution helped J&K move beyond Rest of India’s total and finish on 278 in 64.2 overs.
Mukesh Choudhary was the most successful Rest of India bowler, taking five wickets.
Rest of India began their second innings 41 runs behind and initially struggled to establish a substantial lead. Sanat Sangwan provided resistance with a patient 55 off 160 balls, while Sudip Kumar Gharami made 33.
J&K’s bowlers then struck repeatedly. Rest of India slipped to 197 for eight, with Sahil Lotra and Umar Nazir Mir among the principal wicket-takers. Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan were dismissed cheaply, leaving the visitors vulnerable.
Smaran, however, countered the pressure with the lower order. The left-hander shared a crucial ninth-wicket partnership with Mukesh Choudhary, taking Rest of India from 197 for eight to 306 for eight at the close of play. Smaran resumed on Sunday and completed his second-innings century before being dismissed for 135. His innings, which included 16 fours and five sixes, took Rest of India to 319 and left J&K with a target of 279.
The hosts began the chase positively. Qamran Iqbal made 32 from 39 balls, while Shubham Pundir scored nine. J&K reached 54 for one before Pundir’s dismissal and moved to 65 for two in the 14th over.
The dismissal of Paras Dogra for a first-ball duck then shifted the momentum decisively.
Shubham Khajuria kept J&K in contention for a period, scoring 36 off 49 balls, but his dismissal at 89 for four exposed the middle and lower order.
What followed was a rapid collapse as Kanhaiya Wadhawan was dismissed for two, Sahil Lotra fell for a duck and Abdul Samad made 20 before departing. Abid Mushtaq added five, while Umar Nazir Mir and Sunil Kumar were dismissed without scoring.
J&K slipped from 89 for four to 111 all out, losing seven wickets for only 22 runs. Overall, the hosts’ final eight wickets cost them just 46 runs.
Mukesh Kumar repeatedly found the edge and maintained pressure throughout the closing stages, finishing with 6 for 33 from 10.4 overs. His spell ensured that J&K never developed another meaningful partnership after Khajuria’s dismissal.
The contrast between the two innings was stark. J&K had recovered from 166 for eight in their first essay through Dogra, Samad and Nasir, but their second innings offered no similar resistance once the top order was breached.
J&K’s bowling effort in Rest of India’s second innings also contained costly lapses. Smaran was reprieved on 104 after Umar Nazir Mir overstepped, while the hosts conceded 21 no-balls during the innings, allowing the visitors to build a substantial fourth-innings target.
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