Irani Cup: Pant credits bowling adjustment for Rest of India’s 167-run win

Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant said a tactical shift to fuller bowling in the second innings helped his side defeat Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs and win the Irani Cup after conceding a 41-run first-innings lead

Srinagar: Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant revealed that a conscious decision to adjust their bowling lengths and hit a fuller line in the second innings paid off as the side thrashed Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs to win the Irani Cup here on Sunday.

After conceding a 41-run first-innings lead to Jammu and Kashmir, the Ranji Trophy champions, Rest of India produced a devastating post-lunch performance on Day 4, led by pacer Mukesh Kumar’s 6-33, to bundle them out for a meagre 111 in pursuit of 279.

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Pant, who was down with fever and didn’t take the field on Sunday, admitted that the bowlers had strayed from their initial strategy during J&K’s first essay but praised the group for making the required tactical course corrections when it mattered most.

“Definitely, when you win, all the pain, all the fatigue goes away for sure. Mostly the plan was to bowl fuller in the first innings. That was the conversation we had with the bowlers that we were like, we would back up the length.

“That was something we wanted to correct in the second innings because we knew our bowlers were really good, but the problem was the first innings we bowled too much back of the length, and we corrected that and bowled fuller and fuller in the second innings,” Pant said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Pant, who turned 29 on Sunday, noted that executing the plans brings immense satisfaction, especially after the initial frustration of falling behind early in the contest.

“See, definitely the plan was fuller on the stump. Obviously you will get disappointed because when you’re not sticking to the plan, but at the same time, when you come up with a plan and you stick to it and you can see things happening, it’s lovely to see.”

Pant was also effusive in his praise for young batter Ravichandran Smaran, whose twin knocks of 68 and a brilliant second-innings 135 rescued Rest of India from a perilous situation and set up the match in their favour.

“Today all the pieces fell in place, but at the same time, you know, like you mentioned, Smaran, the way he played in both innings, I think it was outstanding innings, especially we were under pressure, especially in the second innings the way he played, it was outstanding,” concluded Pant.