<p>Hubballi: On a slow moving opening day of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> final between Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium, the batters were rewarded for their patience and punished for fishing outside the off stump. </p>.<p>The conditions were sizzling hot, and Karnataka were made to sweat buckets as Shubham Pundir (117 n.o., 221b, 12x4, 2x6) hit an attractive hundred to guide visitors to a satisfactory 284/2 in 87 overs. </p>.<p>It was a classic first-day domestic wicket with a little help for the seamers in the first hour and no encouragement for the spinners. The batters could trust the bounce and confidently play through the line of the ball. And J&K made complete use of it. </p>.<p>At stumps, Shubham was alongside hard-hitting Abdul Samad (52 n.o., 67b, 5x4, 1x6), whose composure came to the fore while the Karnataka shoulders dropped. The pair stitched an unbroken 105-run stand, mixing caution with aggression. </p>.<p>Prasidh Krishna (2/36) was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as he was quick and got the ball to swing. He also hit the deck hard and got the ball to jag off the surface, delivering a brilliant first spell (5-2-16-1) in the first hour.</p>.<p>The consistency paved way for his first wicket when he tempted Qamran Iqbal (6, 36b) to nick the ball that nipped away, straight to KL Rahul at second slip. </p>.<p>However, it was all J&K after that as Yawer Hassan (88, 150b) and Shubham put behind their team’s thoughts of missing two of their main players in Shubham Khajuria and Vanshaj Sharma due to injuries. </p>.Ranji Trophy | Bowlers help Karnataka seize initiative against Mumbai.<p>While Yawer unfurled some classy drives and cuts, he also showed a lot of patience, particularly to deliveries on the fourth stump.</p>.<p>Shubham, on the other hand, played shots with some limitations on the on-side and with flourish on the off. </p>.<p>They were as different as day and night, but both of them found success in their own ways during their 139-run partnership in 244 balls. </p>.<p>Yawer brought up his first first-class fifty in 77 balls, and his partner Shubham his fourth in 100 balls. </p>.<p>“Just trusting the process and putting in the work. Watch the ball and react accordingly. I was just playing positive cricket and playing my natural game. I did not have runs, but I was sure that it would happen, so this was the stage,” Yawer said after the day’s play. </p>.<p>While Yawer failed to convert his start into something big, Shubham carried on and scored his fourth first-class hundred off 186 deliveries with a six over long on off Shikhar Shetty (0/68). </p>.<p>Skipper Paras Dogra (9 retd hurt) walked in at four but never looked in fluent touch and appeared to be struggling against the short ball as well. He was struck on his neck by a rising delivery from Prasidh and then was hit on the left hand off Vyshak. The second blow left him grimacing in pain as he went off after seeking medical attention. </p>.<p>“Dogra is fine and he will bat tomorrow,” Yawer said. </p>.<p>With the surface not offering much for the bowlers, short-pitched bowling was a priority for Karnataka, but the ploy was negated well by Jammu and Kashmir.</p>
<p>Hubballi: On a slow moving opening day of the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/ranji-trophy">Ranji Trophy</a> final between Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium, the batters were rewarded for their patience and punished for fishing outside the off stump. </p>.<p>The conditions were sizzling hot, and Karnataka were made to sweat buckets as Shubham Pundir (117 n.o., 221b, 12x4, 2x6) hit an attractive hundred to guide visitors to a satisfactory 284/2 in 87 overs. </p>.<p>It was a classic first-day domestic wicket with a little help for the seamers in the first hour and no encouragement for the spinners. The batters could trust the bounce and confidently play through the line of the ball. And J&K made complete use of it. </p>.<p>At stumps, Shubham was alongside hard-hitting Abdul Samad (52 n.o., 67b, 5x4, 1x6), whose composure came to the fore while the Karnataka shoulders dropped. The pair stitched an unbroken 105-run stand, mixing caution with aggression. </p>.<p>Prasidh Krishna (2/36) was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as he was quick and got the ball to swing. He also hit the deck hard and got the ball to jag off the surface, delivering a brilliant first spell (5-2-16-1) in the first hour.</p>.<p>The consistency paved way for his first wicket when he tempted Qamran Iqbal (6, 36b) to nick the ball that nipped away, straight to KL Rahul at second slip. </p>.<p>However, it was all J&K after that as Yawer Hassan (88, 150b) and Shubham put behind their team’s thoughts of missing two of their main players in Shubham Khajuria and Vanshaj Sharma due to injuries. </p>.Ranji Trophy | Bowlers help Karnataka seize initiative against Mumbai.<p>While Yawer unfurled some classy drives and cuts, he also showed a lot of patience, particularly to deliveries on the fourth stump.</p>.<p>Shubham, on the other hand, played shots with some limitations on the on-side and with flourish on the off. </p>.<p>They were as different as day and night, but both of them found success in their own ways during their 139-run partnership in 244 balls. </p>.<p>Yawer brought up his first first-class fifty in 77 balls, and his partner Shubham his fourth in 100 balls. </p>.<p>“Just trusting the process and putting in the work. Watch the ball and react accordingly. I was just playing positive cricket and playing my natural game. I did not have runs, but I was sure that it would happen, so this was the stage,” Yawer said after the day’s play. </p>.<p>While Yawer failed to convert his start into something big, Shubham carried on and scored his fourth first-class hundred off 186 deliveries with a six over long on off Shikhar Shetty (0/68). </p>.<p>Skipper Paras Dogra (9 retd hurt) walked in at four but never looked in fluent touch and appeared to be struggling against the short ball as well. He was struck on his neck by a rising delivery from Prasidh and then was hit on the left hand off Vyshak. The second blow left him grimacing in pain as he went off after seeking medical attention. </p>.<p>“Dogra is fine and he will bat tomorrow,” Yawer said. </p>.<p>With the surface not offering much for the bowlers, short-pitched bowling was a priority for Karnataka, but the ploy was negated well by Jammu and Kashmir.</p>