Dogra and Lone Nasir rescue J&K to a 41-run first-innings lead over Rest of India

Jammu & Kashmir recovered from 166 for 8 to post 278 and take a 41-run first-innings lead over Rest of India at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium on day two of the Irani Cup on Friday. Paras Dogra and Lone Nasir compiled half-centuries and put on a 64-run ninth-wicket stand that propelled the hosts ahead.

By the middle of the afternoon session the J&K dugout had grown subdued and the sparse crowd had largely fallen silent, with only occasional quips directed at Rest of India skipper Rishabh Pant as the home side sat 166 for 8. That total left J&K 71 runs behind RoI’s first-innings 237 and with only two wickets in hand; the hosts had been 21 for 2 overnight.

The revival came through a ninth-wicket partnership of 64 between Paras Dogra and Lone Nasir. Dogra scored 75 off 143 balls with six fours and one six, while Nasir made 64 off 58 balls with eight fours and three sixes; their stand enabled J&K to reach 278 in 64.2 overs and secure a 41-run advantage.

Paras Dogra had been the steady presence throughout, sharing a 101-run fifth-wicket partnership with Abdul Samad, who contributed 57 off 88 balls with five fours and one six. When J&K began to run short of partners, Dogra shifted gears and the pair accelerated the scoring, prompting Rest of India to counter with a series of short deliveries from their pace bowlers.

Mukesh Choudhary finished with 19-2-78-5 in Rest of India’s bowling return, while the late resistance also featured a 48-run last-wicket stand between Lone Nasir and Sunil Kumar, with Nasir striking three sixes off Mukesh during the innings. Dogra was eventually dismissed when he pulled Choudhary to Mukesh Kumar at fine leg.

Jammu & Kashmir’s innings included extras of 33 (b-12, lb-3, w-12, nb-6) and fell in this sequence: 1-16, 2-21, 3-36, 4-37, 5-138, 6-156, 7-157, 8-166, 9-230. Rest of India’s first-innings bowlers returned figures of Mukesh 17-2-84-2, Choudhary 19-2-78-5, Akash 14.2-3-43-3, Manav 9-1-32-0 and Saransh 5-0-26-0.

The day ended with Rest of India 24 for 1 in their second innings after 15 overs. Shikhar Mohan was out c Wadhawan b Sunil for 2, Sanat Sangwan and Sudip Gharami were both batting on 10, extras were 2 (b-1, nb-1), and J&K’s bowling figures in that spell read Umar 6-2-10-0, Sunil 7-3-9-1 and Nasir 2-0-4-0.