J&K dominate opening day against Himachal Pradesh

Srinagar, Jan 29: Sunil Kumar produced a superb spell with the ball to spearhead Jammu and Kashmir’s strong showing on the opening day of their final Ranji Trophy Elite league match against Himachal Pradesh at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

The right-arm pacer finished with impressive figures of 5 for 55, as Himachal Pradesh were bowled out for 168 in 60.1 overs after being asked to bat first. J&K bowlers maintained tight lines throughout the day, exploiting whatever assistance was on offer from the surface and never allowing the opposition to settle.

After early strikes by Auqib Nabi, who dismissed both openers to dent Himachal’s top order, Sunil Kumar took control of the innings with a probing spell. He accounted for key batters, including Pukhraj Mann, who top-scored with a patient 77 off 124 balls.

Sahil Lotra also chipped in with 2 for 44, while Auqib Nabi claimed 2 for 31, as J&K wrapped up the innings without much resistance in the lower order.

In reply, Jammu and Kashmir made a steady start to their first innings, reaching 20 without loss in 4.5 overs at stumps. Openers Shubham Khajuria (14)* and Yawer Hassan (6)* looked composed during their brief stay, negotiating the new ball safely to reduce the deficit.

At the close of play on Day 1, J&K trail by 148 runs with all ten wickets intact, placing themselves in a strong position to dictate terms as the match progresses.

Notably, Jammu and Kashmir made two changes to their playing XI for the crucial encounter, with Dikshant Kundal and Vanshaj Sharma being left out. The team management brought in Shubham Pundir and Sahil Lotra, a move that paid immediate dividends as Lotra made a telling impact with the ball on the opening day.

With this being their last league fixture of the season, J&K will look to build on the solid platform on Day 2 and press for a decisive advantage to make a safer position to get complete hold of the match.