Resilient Rasool lifts J&K out of trouble

Cricket Col CK Nayudu Trophy: Kazi scalps five wickets to restrict team from north

The Jammu & Kashmir batsman had been picked up for questioning by the local police on Saturday afternoon following a scare that, as is now being touted, was triggered by a faulty explosive-detecting device, and everyone was curious to see how the young man would square up on the field of play.

In a wonderful display not just of his cricketing skills but also of mental toughness and resolve, the 21-year-old right-hander made a pleasing half-century on day one of his team’s four-day match against Karnataka in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy.

After Ram Dayal won the toss and opted to bat, the eager wait for Rasool’s arrival at the crease lasted less than an hour and a half and was well worth it as he played the lead role in his team’s first-innings total of 286.

That effort will be viewed as a disappointment of sorts, given that the team from the north had moved into a position of strength at 146 for two in 38 overs at the luncheon adjournment before being undermined by the left-arm spin of Abrar Kazi (5/63).

Rasool (68, 112m, 86b, 8x4, 1x6) was involved in the highest partnership of the day, 86 (86m, 140b) for the third wicket with a defensive-minded Sandeep Singh (35, 148m, 111b, 3x4) as J&K recovered from the second-over dismissal of Dheeraj Sharma to threaten a big total.

After Sandeep was dismissed by the pace of A Mithun, left-arm spinner KP Appanna provided the decisive breakthrough, having Rasool caught by Kazi.

While that didn’t exactly open the floodgates, J&K floundered to string together stands of any substance, Kazi picking up five of the last six wickets to fall.

Brief scores: Jammu & Kashmir: 286 all out in 92.5 overs (Adil Reshi 39, Sandeep Singh 35, Parvez Rasool 68, Nadeem Dar 42, Manik Gupta 40 n.o.; A Mithun 3-53, KP Appanna 2-50, Abrar Kazi 5-63) vs Karnataka.