Ranji Trophy: Jammu and Kashmir 189/4 after Karnataka sets target of 508

Jammu & Kashmir, set a mammoth target of 508, fought hard to finish on Saturday, day three of the Ranji Trophy contest with Karnataka at the IIT-Chemplast ground, at 189 for four.

FILE PHOTO: Karnataka leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal picked three wickets for 65 runs in Jammu and Kashmir's 2nd innings during day three of the Ranji Trophy match on Saturday.

The ball hissed, spun, reared like a cobra and brushed Fazil Rashid's blade. For the batter, it was the kiss of death.

Shreyas Gopal’s exuberant celebration reflected the importance of the scalp. The Karnataka leg-spinner had broken the developing fourth-wicket partnership of 79 between Rashid and skipper Ian Dev Singh.

Shreyas, bounding in and getting some fizz off the pitch, scalped three but Jammu & Kashmir, set a mammoth target of 508, fought hard to finish on Saturday, day three of this Ranji Trophy contest at the IIT-Chemplast ground, at 189 for four.  

Ian Dev (65 batting, 113b, 8x4, 2x6) impressed with his free-flowing stroke-play; both Shreyas and off-spinner K. Gowtham were struck beautifully for straight sixes.

And Abdul Samad (21 batting), a talented batter, took Shreyas on, dumping him over wide long-on and extra-cover for sixes.

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Earlier, Rashid (65, 140b, 8x4, 2x6) caught the eye. The pacemen were driven firmly. Shreyas was sent crashing through covers and then pulled for the maximum.

Jammu & Kashmir was dented early. Prasidh Krishna bowled a series of away going deliveries  and then set Qamar Iqbal up by bringing one back; the batsman was leg-before.

Then, Jatin Wadhwan was caught at slip by Devdutt Padikkal off a Shreyas leg-break.

Adjusting his line to the left-handed Shubham Pundir, Shreyas bowled one with extra bounce for R. Samarth to grab a sharp catch at short-leg. 

Karnataka was without seamer Ronit More, nursing a back spasm.

In the morning, Karun Nair followed his first innings 175 with a polished unbeaten 71 (114b, 6x4, 1x6).

Once again, Karun's mind and body were in harmony. His shots on either side were crisp and he rotated the strike with K.V. Siddharth attacking the bowling.

Karun and Siddharth (72, 72b, 8x4, 1x6) added 113 for the third wicket in 137 deliveries.

The fluency in Siddharth's batting is hard to miss. A natural stroke-maker, he gets into good positions for shots off either foot.

Then, skipper Manish Pandey blitzed a cameo before the declaration.

However, J & K refused to cave in a second time.

Brief Scores: Jammu and Kashmir 93 & 189/4 (Fazil Rashid 65, Ian Chauhan 65*, Gopal 90/3) needs 319 runs to win against Karnataka 302 & 298/3 dec (Siddharth 72, Nair 71, Mushtaq 65/3)