Nabi's Masterclass Turns the Tide in Ranji Trophy Final
The placid surface at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubballi, which had offered little assistance to bowlers over the first two days, suddenly came alive on Thursday. This transformation was not due to any change in pitch conditions, but rather the exceptional quality of bowling displayed by Jammu and Kashmir's attack.
Contrasting Bowling Performances Define the Day
In a stark contrast to Karnataka's laborious effort of requiring 173.1 overs to dismiss Jammu and Kashmir for a commanding 584 in the first innings, the visitors needed just 48.2 overs and 235 minutes to remove half of the home side's batting lineup. At stumps on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy final, Karnataka found themselves at 220/5 in 69 overs, largely thanks to opener Mayank Agarwal's unbeaten 130.
The eight-time champions now trail by a massive 364 runs and require a monumental batting effort from their remaining lineup to stay in contention for the title. The J&K bowlers, through disciplined line and length, made the red cherry swing, consistently targeted the stumps, and extracted movement off the seam. They executed their plans with precision that the more experienced Karnataka bowling attack had failed to demonstrate earlier in the match.
Auqib Nabi's Devastating Spell
Leading the charge for Jammu and Kashmir was strike bowler Auqib Nabi, who returned impressive figures of 3/32 by combining pinpoint accuracy with relentless intensity. When the battle lines for the championship were initially drawn, much of the pre-match discussion had centered on Nabi's anticipated duel with a Karnataka top order featuring four Test batters. The seamer not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them with a match-turning performance.
In a decisive passage of play spanning four overs on either side of the lunch break, Nabi removed three key Karnataka batsmen: KL Rahul, Karun Nair, and the season's highest run-getter R Smaran. Each dismissal came from deliveries that extracted unexpected life from what had been a docile surface throughout the match.
Breaking Down the Karnataka Top Order
Opening the bowling attack, Nabi immediately put KL Rahul under pressure with probing full-length deliveries, occasionally mixing in well-directed short balls. Rahul struggled to find his rhythm, requiring 15 deliveries to get off the mark before briefly finding his timing with two boundaries off Sunil Kumar. Nabi eventually had the final word, producing a delivery that moved late to take a faint edge through to wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan.
Sunil Kumar struck soon after, dismissing Karnataka skipper Devdutt Padikkal who, rooted to the crease, poked tentatively outside off stump, with Abdul Samad completing the catch in the slips. Karun Nair followed almost immediately, falling to what can only be described as a perfect delivery. Nabi angled one in sharply and Karun misjudged the line completely, the ball crashing into his off stump.
Nabi then completed his devastating spell by removing Smaran, whose uncertain push at a back-of-a-length delivery resulted in an outside edge that Wadhawan safely pouched behind the stumps.
Mayank Agarwal's Lone Resistance
Reduced to 57/4, Karnataka found themselves firmly on the back foot, and the packed stadium fell silent except for the celebrations and chirping from the jubilant J&K side. Amid the dramatic collapse, opener Mayank Agarwal stood tall as the lone pillar of resistance. The experienced batsman remained remarkably composed despite the carnage unfolding around him, focusing on the long task ahead of saving the match for his team.
More assured than his teammates, Agarwal countered the swing by getting well forward and working the ball into gaps to ease the pressure on the scoreboard. Shreyas Gopal provided valuable support with 27 runs in a steady partnership before being trapped leg before wicket by Yudhvir Singh. Wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna then joined Agarwal at the crease, contributing 27 not out as the pair ensured Karnataka reached stumps without further damage.
The Mountain Ahead for Karnataka
With a massive first-innings deficit still looming large, the home team's hopes now hinge entirely on whether Mayank Agarwal can continue his resistance and whether the lower order can support him in pulling off what would be a remarkable heist. Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir, who started at 527/6, added 57 runs to their tally before being dismissed for 584. Karnataka pacer Prasidh Krishna finished with an impressive five-wicket haul of 5/98, but his efforts were overshadowed by the visitors' dominant position in the match.
The third day's play has set up a fascinating conclusion to the Ranji Trophy final, with Jammu and Kashmir firmly in the driver's seat and Karnataka facing an uphill battle to save the match. The quality of bowling, particularly from Auqib Nabi, has proven to be the decisive factor on a surface that offered little assistance to bowlers until the visitors demonstrated how skill and discipline could extract results where others had struggled.
