Auqib Nabi has fulfilled needed criterion to be part of the team India with his splendid bowling that led J&K to dominate the eight-time Champion Karnataka on all fronts with final almost finished in their favour and team waiting for the historic moments to receive maiden glittering Silver RanjiTrophy tomorrow at KSCA Stadium, Hubli.
The day-four play witnessed mighty Karnataka sinking to the bowling pressure and J&K emerging as new leader of India’s domestic cricket. Lakhs of people back home in J&K wait for the historic moments when J&K to be declared winner, considering the huge first innings lead.
Earlier, Auqib made yet another fifer to plot Karnataka collapse and top the table and become highest wicket taker in Ranji Trophy this season with 60 wickets. Infact, the five-wicket haul was his seventh of the season and the 15th of his Ranji career, underlining a remarkable run in domestic cricket. In the process,Auqib became only the third pacer in the tournament’s 92-year history to claim 60 wickets in single season.
Earlier, during the fourth-day play, Karnataka could not do much and the whole side bowled out adding only 75 runs losing remaining five wickets at a total of 293 runs. It was opener Mayank Agarwal, who saved Karnataka from humiliations, contributing 160 runs to the total with Kruthik Krishna (36)being other prominent scorer. Besides Auqib’s five wickets haul, Sunil Kumarand Yudhvir Singh shared two wickets each. Sahil Lotra bagged the other wicket.
In reply, J&K, in their second innings, were better placed at 186 for four in 57 overs with an overall lead of 477 runs at stumps. After losing two early wickets of Yawer Hassan and Shubham Pundir for just 11 runs, opener, Qamran Iqbal and Paras Dogra stabilised innings. Qamran kept the one end intact and was batting at 94 with Sahil Lotra (16) at stumps. Abdul Samad contributed 32 runs. M Parsidh took two wickets while V Vyshak and Shreyas Gopal shared one each for Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister J&K, Omar Abdullah has already left for the venue to witness the history in making with J&Klifting the maiden Ranji Trophy tomorrow. He twitted: On our way to Hubli tocheer the J&K cricket team. They have already made lakhs of people so very proud of their achievement by reaching the final. I’m really looking forward tospending the day in the stands cheering them on.
Former India skipper and ex-BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly was all praise for Auqib Nabi. In a tweet on X, Ganguly said, “J&K has shown the world that efforts and intent can do. They have made that region so proud of them..tuff environment makes tuff people. Aquib Nabi on his way to national colours...England is the place to start in the summer.”
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