J&K bowl out Pondicherry for 233 on Day 1

Srinagar, Jan 22: Jammu and Kashmir put in a disciplined bowling effort to bowl out Pondicherry for 233 runs on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D encounter at the Siechem Stadium in Puducherry on Thursday.

After opting to bat first, Pondicherry struggled to build sustained partnerships against a tight J&K bowling attack and were dismissed in 86.4 overs.

The hosts were led by Ajay Rohera, who top-scored with a patient 94 off 211 balls, anchoring the innings even as wickets fell at the other end. Rohera struck eight boundaries during his knock and featured in the highest partnership of the innings, a 56-run stand with Paras Ratnaparkhe.

Sunil Kumar and Yudhvir Singh were the standout performers for Jammu and Kashmir with the ball, combining effectively to dismantle Pondicherry’s batting line-up on Day 1. Sunil led the attack with figures of 3 for 26 from 14 overs, keeping things tight with an economy of just 1.86 and breaking crucial partnerships. Yudhvir complemented him well, finishing with 3 wickets for 55 from 13.4 overs, using pace and bounce to remove set batters and ensure Pondicherry never gained momentum.

Vanshaj Sharma chipped in with two wickets for 55, while Auqib Nabi and Abid Mushtaq claimed a wicket apiece to ensure Pondicherry never fully settled.

Earlier, Pondicherry lost early wickets, slipping to 11 for 1 and later 67 for 2, before Rohera attempted to steady the innings. However, regular breakthroughs by J&K prevented the hosts from capitalising on starts, with the lower order offering limited resistance.

At stumps on Day 1, Jammu and Kashmir  were trailing by 233 runs with Shubham Khajuria and Sunil Kumar.