SRINAGAR — Ravichandran Smaran’s unbeaten century rescued Rest of India from a precarious position and helped the visitors extend their lead over Jammu and Kashmir to 265 runs on the third day of the Irani Cup at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium on Saturday.
Rest of India, who had started the day 17 runs behind J&K, reached 306 for eight in 94 overs at stumps, with Smaran unbeaten on 126 and Mukesh Choudhary on nine.
J&K had reduced the visitors to 197 for eight, leaving Rest of India with a lead of just 156 runs. However, Smaran and Choudhary frustrated the hosts with an unbeaten 109-run partnership for the ninth wicket.
Smaran, who had scored 68 in Rest of India’s first innings, completed his second fifty of the match before going on to make his century. He remained unbeaten on 126 off 131 balls, including 15 fours and five sixes.
The partnership changed the course of the innings after J&K had dominated the afternoon and evening sessions with a strong bowling effort.
Sanat Sangwan, unbeaten on 52 at lunch, eventually fell for 55 off 160 balls to Umar Nazir Mir.
The J&K pacer then dismissed Saransh Jain for 25 and Sarfaraz Khan for a duck in the same over, reducing Rest of India from 128 for two to 131 for five.
Umar Nazir finished with three wickets for 87 runs, while Sahil Lotra also took three wickets, conceding 71 runs.
Lotra dismissed Manav Suthar for 16 before removing Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant for eight and Akash Deep for two.
Despite the collapse, Smaran held one end together. He first added 52 runs with Suthar before finding a dependable partner in Choudhary, who faced 47 balls for his unbeaten nine.
Earlier, J&K had secured a crucial 41-run first-innings lead after being bowled out for 278 in reply to Rest of India’s 237.
The hosts had slipped to 166 for eight before captain Paras Dogra, Abdul Samad and Lone Nasir Muzaffar helped them recover.
Dogra top-scored with 75, while Samad made 57. Nasir then struck an attacking 64 off 58 balls, hitting eight fours and three sixes, to take J&K past Rest of India’s first-innings total.
Nasir’s counter-attacking innings proved decisive after J&K had lost eight wickets for 166.
Rest of India had begun their second innings cautiously after losing Shikhar Mohan early. Sudip Kumar Gharami made 33 before being dismissed by Nasir, while Sangwan and Saransh steadied the innings before J&K’s bowlers triggered the middle-order collapse.
Rest of India will resume on Sunday with two wickets in hand and Smaran still at the crease.
J&K will look to dismiss the remaining batters quickly before beginning their fourth-innings chase, while Rest of India will seek to add to their lead.
The Irani Cup is being played from October 1 to 5 at the Sher-i-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar and is the first edition of the fixture to be hosted in the city, according to the supplied report.
Scorecard: Rest of India 237 & 306/8 (94 overs); J&K 278. Rest of India lead by 265 runs.
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