Mumbai: In what was both the teams’ first encounter in 80 years, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) created history defeating Mumbai, 40–time Ranji trophy champions, by four wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
The Ranji Trophy Group A cricket match between Mumbai and J&K was evenly poised at the end of the third day's play with the visitors finishing on 58 for one while chasing a modest target of 237 on a wearing track on Tuesday.
The Parvez Rasool-led team put up a solid show as they chased the total to secure a historic win on the final day of the game. While the skipper scored a quick-fire 32, it was their opener Shubham Khajuria's patient 78 that guided the team to victory.
In the bowling department, Ram Dayal played a big role in setting up the win for J&K. The medium pacer scalped eight wickets in the game, five of which came in the second innings.
The team from the valley, who met Mumbai for the first-time ever in the tournament, required just 179 more runs on the final day with nine wickets in hand to cause a major upset.
At stumps on day three, first innings centurion Shubham Khajuria (34) and Bandeep Singh (11) were at the crease.
J&K had taken the first innings honours by grabbing a small lead of 18 runs over the hosts, who, however, batted well in the morning session from a shaky 66 for four to cross the 200-run mark. But they lost wickets later and were all out for 254.
Captain Suryakumar Yadav, who remained unbeaten on Monday evening with night watchman Dhawal Kulkarni, played a responsible innings to score his fifth first class century and fourth in the tournament.
Yadav, who threw away his wicket after reaching his half-century in the first innings, made 115 in just under four hours off 158 balls and with 18 fours. He received fine support from Kulkarni, as the duo slowly and steadily pulled the home team out of the woods with a stand of 152 runs in 204 minutes for the fifth wicket.
But once the combination was broken by Umar Nazir, who had Kulkarni edge to the second slip, the Mumbai innings fell apart. It deepened when Yadav was caught in similar fashion off the same bowler.
Injured Wasim Jaffer remained unbeaten on four after batting at no. 11.
Nazir's new ball partner Ram Dayal then cleaned up the tail to return with impressive figures (5/76) in the second innings and a match-haul of 8/127.
