Jammu and Kashmir have bowled out hosts Karnataka for 293 with a fiery pace attack led by star pacer Auqib Nabi, who took five wickets in the historic Ranji final being played at the Hubli Cricket Ground. Earlier, the visitors scored 584 while Karnataka’s entire batting line-up collapsed under pressure from the J-K pacers. 

The hosts found themselves in a spot of bother when their top order, including KL Rahul and Karun Nair, fell cheaply at the start of their innings. 

The hosts were left at 57/4 when Mayank Agarwal stepped in to bat and rescued the innings with a brilliant century before being dismissed by Auqib.

At the start of Day 4, J-K pacers began building pressure on Karnataka’s long batting order, with new-ball star pacer Auqib Nabi and Sunil Kumar taking three and two wickets each.

Jammu and Kashmir are playing in their first-ever Ranji final, ending a wait of more than 67 years thanks to an entire team effort against West Bengal in the semi-finals. 

The hosts, Karnataka, considered tournament favourites with some of India’s finest talents, dominated Uttarakhand in their semi-final encounter.

This year, the Jammu and Kashmir team has been in red-hot form with stars like Abdul Samad, Auqib Nabi, Shubham Pundir and captain Paras Dogra, who has completed 10,000 runs in the domestic circuit.

Jammu and Kashmir’s performance in this year’s Ranji edition has drawn eyes and appreciation from former greats and stars of Indian cricket, including Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Irfan Pathan and Aakash Chopra.

Besides, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha have also praised the team’s performance.

Omar said, “The way the J&K team stepped up on the field, it seemed they were hungry for a win. It looks like they will lift the trophy after a long wait.”

He also congratulated team captain Paras Dogra for scoring “10,000 runs and leading the team with exceptional leadership.”

With momentum going J&K’s way on Day 4, the visitors will seek to exert more control on the game going into the second innings.

Also read: Ranji Trophy Final: JK’s Paras Dogra headbutts Karnataka player