Karnataka 35/1 at Lunch, Trail J&K's 584 in Tense Ranji Final

Jammu and Kashmir's new-ball pair of Auqib Nabi Dar and Sunil Kumar maintained excellent discipline early, bowling tight lines and extracting movement to keep KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal under constant pressure.

Both openers were forced to adopt a watchful approach, with runs coming sparingly as Auqib delivered consecutive maidens and consistently beat Rahul outside the off stump.

Rahul eventually found a couple of crisp boundaries off Sunil Kumar to ease some pressure, but Auqib produced the breakthrough J&K needed. Bowling a skiddy back-of-a-length delivery that straightened after pitching, he induced a faint edge from Rahul, which was safely taken by wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan. The decision was confirmed after a successful review, handing Auqib his 56th wicket of the season and reducing Karnataka to 27/1 in 11.2 overs.

Padikkal got off the mark with a boundary off a full toss, while Agarwal also found the fence with controlled strokes through the off side. Yudhvir Singh Charak bowled probing spells with good pace and movement but remained wicketless.

Despite Rahul's dismissal, Karnataka batters showed patience against a disciplined Jammu & Kashmir attack and managed to score 35 runs before Lunch on Day 3.

Earlier in the session, Karnataka pacer Prasidh Krishna led a determined bowling effort with a five-wicket haul as Jammu and Kashmir were bowled out for a massive 584 on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy final at the Hubli Cricket Ground on Thursday. Despite the late breakthroughs, Jammu and Kashmir retained firm control after a dominant batting display that stretched across nearly three days.

Resuming with their lower order at the crease, Jammu and Kashmir aimed to extend their commanding total. Sahil Lotra and Abid Mushtaq built a patient partnership, negotiating the second new ball with composure. The breakthrough came when Prasidh dismissed Abid Mushtaq for 28 via a sharp short delivery caught at mid-on. He completed his five-wicket haul when Auqib Nabi Dar edged a fuller ball to Kruthik Krishna, showing his persistence on a tough surface.

Lotra scored 72, anchoring the innings for Jammu and Kashmir before falling to Vyshak while trying an aggressive pull, securing over 570 runs and strengthening their position. Yudhvir Singh Charak added late momentum with a brisk 30, striking boundaries and a six but was run out after a mix-up, ending the innings. Prasidh took 5 for 98, standout among Karnataka's bowlers.

Facing a daunting deficit, Karnataka now confront a major challenge in their first innings, with momentum firmly in Jammu and Kashmir's favour.

Brief Scores: Karnataka 35/1 in 13 ov (Mayank Agarwal 16*, Devdutt Padikkal 4*; Auqib Nabi Dar 1-8) trail Jammu & Kashmir 584/10 in 173.1 ov (Shubham Pundir 121, Yawer Hassan 88, Sahil Lotra 72, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 70, Paras Dogra 70; Prasidh Krishna 5-98) by 549 runs

- IANS