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Jammu and Kashmir’s fast bowler Aaqib Nabi bowled a brilliant spell and showed the way to the pavilion to Karnataka’s top batsmen and reduced the host team’s score to 220 runs for five wickets in the first innings. With this, the Jammu and Kashmir team seems to be moving strongly towards the historic Ranji Trophy victory.
Aaqib Nabi Dar wreaked havoc in the final, dismissed K Rahul, Karun Nair
New Delhi. A strong storm emanating from the cold winds of the valley is currently looming over the biggest stage of Indian domestic cricket, the name is Aaqib Nabi. When history is at stake, a strong team like Karnataka is in front and the pressure is at its peak, then real stars are born. The way Nabi bowled in the Ranji Trophy final not only changed the direction of the match but also gave a new flight to the dreams of Jammu and Kashmir. His precise line-length, constant pressure and bowling that shocked the big batsmen proved that he is not just an emerging fast bowler but a player for big occasions.
On the third day on Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir’s fast bowler Aaqib Nabi bowled a brilliant spell and showed Karnataka’s top batsman the way to the pavilion and the host team’s score increased to 220 runs for five wickets in the first innings. With this, the Jammu and Kashmir team seems to be moving strongly towards the historic Ranji Trophy victory.
The prophet again looted the gathering
In-form Aaqib Nabi took three important wickets for just 32 runs in 14 overs and completely shook Karnataka’s top order. The special thing was that he bowled a long spell of nine consecutive overs and did not give the big batsmen a chance to play freely. Nabi gave the first blow to Lokesh Rahul, which put pressure on Karnataka. After this he changed the course of the match by taking two wickets in two balls. He bowled Karun Nair on a brilliant inbound ball and put Karnataka in deep trouble by dismissing the in-form Smrana Ravichandran on the very next ball. In the current season, his number of wickets has reached 58, which is just one less than the 59 wickets of Uttarakhand spinner Mayank Mishra.
Mayank’s fighting innings
However, experienced Mayank Agarwal displayed great patience and technique in the last session to hold the edge. He remained unbeaten after scoring 130 runs and tried his best to handle the team. He also got a lease of life on the score of 124 runs when he missed the catch, which could have proved costly for Jammu and Kashmir. Despite Agarwal’s fighting innings, Karnataka team is still 364 runs behind on the basis of first innings and will have to score 165 more runs to avoid follow-on. In the current situation, the match seems to be completely under the control of Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir can create history
After making its debut in Ranji Trophy in 1959-60, Jammu and Kashmir team has reached the final for the first time, and this achievement is historic in itself. Aaqib Nabi has emerged as the biggest match-winner of the team this entire season. If Nabi maintains this rhythm, then it would not be wrong to say that he can prove to be the biggest hero of this historic journey of Jammu and Kashmir. His bowling has not only put Karnataka under pressure, but has also indicated that Jammu and Kashmir is now just a few steps away from creating history.