Rest of India found themselves on the back foot in the Irani Cup encounter as Jammu and Kashmir secured a vital first-innings lead in a contest dictated by pace bowlers. After conceding a 41-run deficit, Rest of India struggled at the start of their second innings, reaching 24 for the loss of one wicket by stumps on day two. The team suffered an early blow when opener Shikhar Mohan was dismissed for just 2 runs, leaving them still trailing Jammu and Kashmir by 17 runs. Unbeaten batters Sanat Sangwan on 10 and Sudip Kumar Gharami on 10 managed to navigate through to the close of play.
Mukesh Choudhary Bags Five-For but J&K Forge Ahead
The match swung between the two sides after Rest of India were bowled out for 237 on the opening day. When Jammu and Kashmir came out to bat, their top order faced severe pressure from the opposition pacers, losing two wickets in the very first seven overs before stumps on day one. However, their middle and lower order mounted a determined fightback on day two, eventually posting 278 runs before being bowled out. For Rest of India, fast bowler Mukesh Choudhary bowled with exceptional control and aggression, claiming five wickets for 78 runs to halt the innings.
Dogra, Samad and Lone Nasir Fuel First-Innings Lead
Despite the fast-bowling onslaught, Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra anchored the innings with a resilient knock of 75 runs. He received solid backing from Abdul Samad, who struck an entertaining 57. Down the order, number nine batter Lone Nasir Muzaffar played a decisive innings of 64 runs, frustrating the opposition bowlers and steering the side to a 41-run advantage over Rest of India's total.
Focus Shifts to Captain Rishabh Pant on Day Three
The outcome of the match will heavily depend on how Rest of India approach their batting on day three, with particular focus on captain Rishabh Pant. Pant had a disappointing outing in the first innings, falling for only 10 runs due to poor shot selection. With the top order wobbling again and the team still wiping out the deficit, a commanding performance from the skipper will be crucial if Rest of India are to mount a comeback and set a competitive fourth-innings target.
