Srinagar, Oct 04: J&K need 279 to win Irani Cup
J&K’s bowlers fought back strongly after Rest of India had threatened to stretch their lead, with Sunil Kumar wrapping up the final two wickets, including the prized wicket of centurion Ravichandran Smaran, who finished with a superb 135.
Sunil was the pick of the J&K attack, finishing with 3 for 56, while Umar Nazir and Sahil Lotra also claimed three wickets each, returning figures of 3 for 92 and 3 for 71, respectively.
The biggest resistance for Rest of India came from Smaran and Mukesh Choudhary, who added a crucial 113-run partnership to frustrate the J&K bowlers and push the visitors’ lead towards a challenging target.
Smaran’s 135 was particularly significant, coming after his impressive 68 in the first innings. His second-innings century proved decisive in allowing Rest of India to recover from a middle-order collapse on the third day.
With the visitors dismissed for 319, J&K now need 279 runs to win the Irani Cup.
The hosts have two days remaining to chase down the target, but the task will not be straightforward. Rest of India possess a quality pace attack capable of exploiting any assistance from the pitch, meaning J&K’s batters will need to show considerable patience and application.
J&K had earlier taken a 41-run first-innings lead after bowling Rest of India out for 237 and scoring 278 in reply.
