Jammu and Kashmir took firm control of the Ranji Trophy final on the opening day, riding on a superb unbeaten century from Shubham Pundir and a gritty 88 from young Yawer Hassan to reach 284 for two against Karnataka on Tuesday.
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Pundir remained unbeaten on 117 at stumps, while Abdul Samad was 52 not out, the pair adding an unbroken 105 runs for the third wicket after captain Paras Dogra was forced to retire hurt.
Earlier, Pundir and Yawer laid the foundation with a commanding 139-run stand for the second wicket against the eight-time champions. Yawer fell just short of a deserved hundred, dismissed for 88 after battling hard through a testing spell from the Karnataka pacers.
Pundir brought up his century in style, launching Shikhar Shetty over deep mid-wicket for six before acknowledging the dressing room with a celebratory raise of his helmet.
Having won the toss on a surface expected to deteriorate as the match progresses, Dogra opted to bat first — a decision that paid dividends despite the early loss of opener Qamran Iqbal (6). Qamran edged a delivery from Prasidh Krishna that straightened off the seam, with KL Rahul taking a comfortable catch at slip.
From there, Yawer and Pundir steadied the innings, guiding J&K to 104 for one at lunch. Yawer was unbeaten on 57 at the break, with Pundir on 38, as the duo weathered a probing spell from Karnataka’s disciplined attack.
Conditions were far from easy, with several plays and misses and a few streaky edges, but both batters showed patience and composure against the new ball. While not always fluent, they kept the scoreboard moving at a steady rate of around three runs per over.
Karnataka’s bowlers, three seamers supported by leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, maintained tight lines and lengths but struggled for breakthroughs. Gopal, the season’s leading wicket-taker with 55 scalps coming into the final, beat the bat on multiple occasions but went unrewarded as the batters refused to allow him to settle.
Yawer, 22, rose to the occasion despite enduring a lean run of form, having gone nine matches without a fifty. Making his First-Class debut during Rohit Sharma’s final red-ball appearance in 2025, the youngster showcased his potential by striking 13 boundaries.
However, just as he neared a maiden hundred, Yawer edged Prasidh to Rahul at first slip, mirroring the earlier dismissal of Qamran.
Prasidh also tested the batters with short-pitched deliveries. Yawer was struck on the body by a bouncer who required medical attention. Later, Dogra was hit on the neck by another sharp delivery from the same bowler. Although an appeal for a glove catch was turned down after replays showed no contact, Dogra appeared uncomfortable and eventually retired hurt following treatment.
His departure brought Abdul Samad to the crease, and alongside Pundir, he ensured there were no further setbacks. The duo batted confidently through the final session, consolidating J&K’s dominance with an unbeaten century partnership.
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