Irani Cup: Nasir’s counterattacking fifty hands J&K a slender lead over Rest of India

Srinagar:  A last-minute inclusion who did not even have his own jersey when the Irani Cup began at the picturesque Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium, seam-bowling all-rounder Lone Nasir produced a sensational counter-attacking fifty to propel Jammu & Kashmir to a dramatic first-innings lead over the Rest of India on day two’s play on Friday. By the time J&K were bowled out for 278 in 64.2 overs, with Nasir making 64, they had secured a precious 41-run lead. J&K pacers exploited the useful conditions once again late in the day, with left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar dismissing opener Shikhar Mohan cheaply, as their score read 24/1 at stumps and they still trailed J&K by 17 runs. When J&K’s dugout erupted in celebration at 2:46 pm as Nasir pulled a short ball over deep midwicket and put them in the lead, it felt like a match-winning moment for the current Ranji Trophy winners. Just an hour earlier, taking the lead seemed nearly impossible for them. A post-lunch middle-order collapse had seen J&K slip precipitously from 138/4 to 166/8, and trailing the Rest of India by 71 runs. Joining veteran J&K captain Paras Dogra, who was waging a lone battle, the Bandipora-based Nasir turned the contest on its head with a display of fearless hitting. Having only made the playing eleven after first-choice pacers Auqib Nabi and Yudhvir Singh were unavailable, Nasir began cautiously before launching a calculated assault on RoI’s star-studded pace attack. He fetched left-arm spinner Manav Suthar from outside off to sweep him to deep midwicket and lofted him over extra cover in the same over. Even after Dogra fell with J&K still seven runs behind, Nasir refused to retreat. Unfazed by the short-pitched barrage from Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, Nasir smashed Mukesh for a sequence of a four and two sixes to race to a sensational 48-ball half-century. His 58-ball 64, laced with eight fours and three sixes, ended when Akash Deep trapped him lbw with a reverse-swinging delivery, and an enterprising 48-run last-wicket stand with Sunil Kumar ensured J&K reached 278 and got that crucial psychological edge. Before Nasir’s blitz, J&K’s response had been anchored by a crucial 101-run partnership between Dogra (75 off 143 balls) and Abdul Samad (57 off 88 balls). Resuming day two from 21/2, J&K found themselves in severe trouble at 37/4 as Mukesh Choudhary breathed fire on a green-tinged pitch to remove Shubham Khajuria and Qamran Iqbal in quick succession. Choudhary eventually finished with a well-deserved 5-78, but Dogra and Samad absorbed the pressure to rebuild the innings. Samad mixed caution with enterprise to reach his fifty off 80 balls before falling shortly after the lunch break to Mukesh. When Choudhary and Akash Deep (3-43) ripped through the lower middle-order to leave J&K reeling at 166/8, Dogra showed immense grit. Despite looking uncomfortable against high pace, Dogra persevered to reach his half-century off 113 balls, adding 64 vital runs with Nasir for the ninth wicket before top-edging a bumper to fine leg. But then Nasir came out all guns blazing with the bat to make it a memorable day of red-ball cricket for J&K. Brief scores: Rest of India 237 and 24/1 (Sudip Kumar Gharami 10 not out; Sunil Kumar 1-9) trail Jammu & Kashmir 278 all out in 64.2 overs (Paras Dogra 75, Lone Nasir 64; Mukesh Choudhary 5-78, Akash Deep 3-43) by 17 runs –IANS nr/bsk/