Bengaluru, Feb 27: Jammu and Kashmir tightened their grip on the Ranji Trophy final on Day 4, ending the day at 186 for 4 in their second innings and extending their overall lead to a commanding 477 runs, leaving Karnataka staring at an improbable task on the final day.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir’s bowlers once again set the tone as Karnataka were bowled out for 293, with pacer Auqib Nabi producing yet another match-defining spell. Nabi claimed his seventh five-wicket haul of the season, underlining a dream campaign and helping his side secure a massive 291-run first-innings lead.
In reply, Jammu and Kashmir suffered a brief wobble at 11 for 2, but opener Qamran Iqbal rose to the occasion on the biggest stage of his career. Showing remarkable composure and an unorthodox yet effective technique, Qamran anchored the innings with a fluent 94 off 160 balls, striking 11 fours and a six. He stitched together crucial partnerships with Dogra and later Abdul Samad, blunting Karnataka’s hopes of a comeback.
Abdul Samad chipped in with a patient 32, before being caught off Vijaykumar Vyshak’s bowling, while Sahil Lotra remained unbeaten on 16, providing steady support as the game drifted into a quiet final session. Karnataka spinner Shreyas Gopal bowled tightly, finishing with figures of 1 for 27 from 16 overs, but found little assistance from the surface.
The last ten overs yielded just 32 runs with no wickets, reflecting Karnataka’s fading intensity as Jammu and Kashmir consolidated their dominance.
Playing their first-ever Ranji Trophy final, Jammu and Kashmir now stand on the brink of history. With one day left and a colossal lead in hand, they are overwhelming favourites to script a fairytale finish and emerge as new Ranji Trophy champions, while Karnataka will need nothing short of a miracle to deny them glory.
