Jammu, Feb 9: Auqib Nabi once again emerged as the nemesis of Madhya Pradesh as the Jammu & Kashmir pacer ripped through the opposition’s top order, leaving the former champions in deep trouble on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal here on Sunday.
After resuming at 84 for 5 overnight, Jammu & Kashmir showed resilience to post 248 all out in their second innings. Abid Mushtaq (41 off 73 balls) and Vanshaj Sharma (54 not out off 92) played crucial knocks to rescue the side from a precarious position.
Their gritty partnership helped J&K set Madhya Pradesh a challenging target of 291.
By stumps on Sunday, Madhya Pradesh’s chase had faltered to 87 for 5, with Auqib Nabi (3/23) once again tormenting the opposition after claiming seven wickets in the first innings.
The 2021–22 Ranji Trophy champions were on the back foot early as opener Yash Dubey, who has struggled this season, was dismissed for 20, followed by Himanshu Mantri (31). Auqib, well supported by left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq (2/19), ran through the top order.
With a daunting 204 runs still required, Madhya Pradesh face an uphill task, with Shubham Sharma (11 not out) and Venkatesh Iyer (7 not out) trying to steady the innings.
The day, however, firmly belonged to the lanky 29-year-old Auqib Nabi, who has also made headlines off the field after being picked up by Delhi Capitals for a multi-crore contract ahead of the upcoming IPL season.
Continuing his rich vein of form after a sensational 7/40 in the first innings that bundled Madhya Pradesh out for 152, Auqib struck early by removing opener Yash Dubey. He then delivered a decisive blow in the 27th over, dismissing skipper Rajat Patidar (8) and Kumar Kartikeya for a first-ball duck off successive deliveries to reduce Madhya Pradesh to 76 for 5.
Brief scores:
J&K: 194 & 248 all out in 70.3 overs (Abid Mushtaq 41, Vanshaj Sharma 54*; Kuldeep Sen 4/65, Venkatesh Iyer 3/23, Ramveer Gurjar 3/66).
MP: 152 & 87/5 in 28 overs (Auqib Nabi 3/23, Abid Mushtaq 2/19). (Agencies)
