Pundir century and Yawer 88 give Jammu & Kashmir edge over Karnataka in Ranji final
Shubham Pundir scored an unbeaten 117 and Yawer Hassan added 88 as Jammu & Kashmir dominated the first day of the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka. J&K ended Day 1 at 284 for 2, setting a strong platform for a big total
Hubballi: A masterful unbeaten century from Shubham Pundir and a tenacious 88 from young Yawer Hassan saw Jammu & Kashmir seize control of the Ranji Trophy final, ending the opening day at a solid 284 for two and leaving Karnataka’s bowlers searching for answers here on Tuesday.
Pundir, the 27-year-old left-handed batter, was 117 not out at stumps. Giving him company was Abdul Samad on 52, the duo having added 105 runs for the third wicket after skipper Paras Dogra retired hurt.
This came after Pundir and Yawer stitched together a stand of 139 runs to lay the foundation for a big total against the eight-time champions, whose batters have a strong record at this venue.
Pundir reached his hundred in style, smashing Shikhar Shetty for a six over deep mid-wicket. He marked the landmark by removing his helmet and raising his arms towards the dressing room.
Earlier, on a pitch likely to break up as the game progresses, Jammu & Kashmir won a good toss, and Dogra’s decision to bat first was expected.
Playing in their maiden Ranji final after an inspired run that saw them claim away victories against established teams such as Madhya Pradesh and Bengal in the knockouts, J&K lost Qamran Iqbal (6) early.
The opener poked at a Prasidh Krishna delivery that straightened slightly, inducing an outside edge for KL Rahul to complete a comfortable catch in the slip cordon.
The lack of foot movement from Qamran played a part in the day’s first wicket, but J&K’s decision to bat first was vindicated by Yawer and Pundir, who carried the team to 104 for one at lunch. Yawer was unbeaten on 57 at the break, and Pundir was on 38 as the duo batted confidently to keep the experienced Karnataka bowling attack at bay.
It was not easy on the middle, with numerous plays and misses and a few streaky edges, but both Yawer and Pundir saw off the difficult period against the new ball.
Yawer and Pundir may not have looked the most fluent, but they were effective, stitching together a big partnership for the second wicket while keeping the scoreboard ticking at around three runs an over.
The Karnataka bowlers – three pacers and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal – were disciplined with their line and length but did not get any reward for their perseverance. Shreyas, the season’s leading wicket-taker with 55 scalps heading into the final, beat the bat on a few occasions but could not find success, even as Yawer and Pundir looked determined to go after him.
The 22-year-old Yawer, who made his first-class debut in former India captain Rohit Sharma’s last red-ball game in 2025 and had gone nine games without a fifty, chose the big occasion to show his skills, finding the fence 13 times.
However, having done all the hard work with Pundir while approaching his maiden hundred, Yawer fell to Prasidh, prodding at a delivery outside off-stump to give a catch to Rahul at first slip. Both dismissals for the day were similar in nature.
Before the breakthrough, Prasidh had tested Yawer with a bouncer that hit the batter and required medical attention.
Captain Dogra was hit on the neck by a sharp bouncer from Prasidh. The seamer then appealed for a catch at forward short-leg, thinking the ball may have grazed the glove, but replays showed it did not, and the batter was safe.
Dogra, while attempting to fend off the bouncer, did get hurt, and the physio was called to apply an ice pack. Later, the J&K physio returned to tend to Dogra, who had taken a few blows. The skipper was then sent back to the dressing room on a signal from coach Ajay Sharma, paving the way for Samad’s entry.
Pundir and Samad then batted with ease, accumulating runs and consolidating J&K’s position with their unbroken century partnership.
