J&K defeats Pondicherry by 19 runs; Vanshaj takes 10 wkts on debut

J&K Cricket team posing for group photograph after winning against Pondicherry on Sunday.
J&K Cricket team posing for group photograph after winning against Pondicherry on Sunday.

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 11: Spinning sensation Vanshaj Sharma created history and became the first bowler for J&K to claim a match haul of 10 wickets on debut, probably the best bowling figures on debut by any Indian in Ranji Trophy at the domestic circuit, while another left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq bowled equally well to capture 10 wickets in the match, thus guiding Jammu and Kashmir to emphatic victory over Pondicherry in a low scoring Ranji Trophy Group-D match at Siechem Cricket Stadium, Pondicherry today.
Earlier, resuming from an overnight score of 35/7, Pondicherry began well early in the morning to take the score to 56/7 before Vanshaj did the trick and bundled out the whole side for 67 runs, thus guiding Jammu and Kashmir to an emphatic 19-run win.
Chasing a paltry total of 87 runs, Pondicherry struggled on day-2 and lost 7 wickets at a trot. Skipper Rohit D (17) was the only batter to cross the double figure mark. For J&K, history creator Vanshaj Sharma and Abid Mushtaq were the wreckers-in-chief, who both had a match haul of 10 wickets each.
The Sub Committee Members of JKCA including Brigadier Anil Gupta, Member-Administration; Mithun Manhas, Member Cricket Operations and Development JKCA and Sunil Sethi, Member Legal Affairs JKCA congratulated the team along with Support Staff for this big win.
Brief scores: J&K 1st Innings 106/10 Fazil Rashid (27), Shubham Singh Pundir (21) Sidak Singh 5/39
Pondicherry 1st Innings 172/10 Paras Dogra (58) Karthick (50) Abid Mushtaq 5/64 Vanshaj Sharma 5/74
J&K 2nd Innings 152/10 Fazil Rashid (36) Shubham Singh Pundir (30) Rohit D 4/46
Pondicherry 2nd Innings 67/10 Rohit D (19) Vanshaj Sharma 5/16 Abid Mushtaq 5/28