Brief Score: Jammu & Kashmir 527/6 in 156 overs (Shubham Pundir 121, Yawer Hassan 88, Paras Dogra 70, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 70, Sahil Lotra 54 batting, Prasidh Krishna 3/90) vs Karnataka.
Jammu and Kashmir strengthened their grip on the Ranji Trophy final with some impressive batting, reaching 527 for six against eight-time champions Karnataka before bad light forced an early closure on day two here on Wednesday.
Retired to 284 for 2, J&K cashed in on a quiet surface with six of their top seven batsmen crossing the 50-run mark. Shubham Pundir, who laid the foundations with a fine 121, was well supported by Yawer Hassan (88) and Abdul Samad (61) as the Karnataka bowlers were made to toil for long periods.
Karnataka vs J&K, Ranji Trophy Final Day 2: Highlights
Karnataka started the morning with renewed intent after taking the second new ball. Their seamers, Vidyadhar Patil, Vyshak Vijaykumar and Prasidh Krishna bowled with discipline and got appreciable movement. The pressure told as Pundir and Samad fell in quick succession to briefly revive hopes for the hosts as J&K slumped to 327 for 4.
However, captain Paras Dogra and Kanhaiya Wadhawan combined to settle the innings with authority. The experienced duo added 110 runs for the fifth wicket, batting patiently and picking the right moments to counter-attack. Both brought up fluent half-centuries, scoring 70 each and wresting control, guiding J&K to 380 for 4 at lunch before consolidating further in the afternoon session.
Wadhawan was eventually dismissed soon after reaching his fifty, while Shreyas Gopal bowled Dogra for a well-made 70. But Karnataka had no respite. Sahil Lotra, drafted into the playing XI due to Vanshay Sharma’s injury, seized his opportunity with a smooth unbeaten 57 at No.7 to become the sixth J&K batsman to score a half-century in an innings.
Abid Mushtaq provided steady support and was unbeaten on 20 as J&K marched to 478 for 6 at tea. The final session was cut short due to fading light, but Lotra and Mushtaq negotiated a period safely to ensure their side ended the day in complete control at 527 for 6.
With Auqib Nabi yet to come, J&K have moved into a position of authority. The surface remains good for batting, which Karnataka will hope to take advantage of when it’s their turn. For now, however, they still need four more wickets, and the longer it takes, the greater the physical and mental toll on a bowling attack that has already racked up heavy miles.
Prasidh Krishna was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 90 as the hosts rotated as many as six bowlers in search of a breakthrough. Karun Nair also rolled his arm for a couple of part-time spells out of the spin as Karnataka looked for answers on a long, demanding day in the field.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
February 25, 2026
