Rasool, Pundir, Banday score fifties as J&K outplays strong Saurashtra

Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 8: Skipper Parvez Rasool, promising middle-order batsman, Shubham Singh Pundir and talented opening batsman, Ahmad Omar Banday scored brilliant half-centuries to help balanced Jammu and Kashmir beat strong Saurashtra in the ongoing Group-D Vijay Hazare One Day Tournament at Gymkhana Ground, Hyderabad.
Saurashtra have a bunch of current and former Team India players including Chateshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Robin Uthappa and Jaydev Unadkat in their side, besides big cricketing names like KR Makwana and DA Jadeja.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir skipper Parvez Rasool won the toss and put Saurashtra into bat.
Batting first, Saurashtra scored 267 runs in the stipulated 50 overs, losing 6 wickets in the process. AV Vasavada played a brilliant innings of unbeaten 85 runs off 73 deliveries, studded with 1 four and 6 sixes, including 3 sixes in one over, while Prerak Mankad contributed quick-fire 67 off 48 balls including 5 fours and 2 sixes.
Earlier, Samarth Vyas, Chateshwar Pujara, Robin Uthappa, Ravindra Jadeja and Jaydev Unadkat contributed 33, 27, 20, 13 and 12 runs to the total respectively. Saurashtra were 131/5 in 34.1 overs at one point of time. However, a brilliant partnership of 134 runs between Vasavada and Mankad took the score to 265 runs in 49.5 overs before Mankad was dismissed on penultimate ball of the innings. The duo showed solidity and aggression and scored the runs at a brisk rate.
From Jammu and Kashmir, left-arm spinner Waseem Raza took 2 important wickets, while Mohd Mudhasir, Ramdayal Punia, Umar Nazir and Manzoor Dar claimed one wicket each. Parvez Rasool conceded just 16 runs in his first six overs and was a bit expensive in last four overs, especially the last over of his spell.
Chasing a target of 268 runs, Jammu and Kashmir openers Ahmad Omar Banday and Jatin Wadhawan gave a solid foundation to the team by scoring 96 runs in 17.3 overs, before Jatin was dismissed at his individual score of 30 runs, which was followed by the dismissal of Banday at his individual score of 65 runs and the team’s total of 99 runs in 19.5 overs. Banday faced 66 balls, hitting 11 fours and 1 six, while Jatin faced 49 balls including 1 four and 2 sixes. Then, it was the pair of Parvez Rasool, who came up in the order and Shubham Singh Pundir to help taking their team to home. Rasool remained unbeaten on 67 runs of 80 balls, studded with 3 boundaries and 2 sixes, while Pundir scored magnificent 55 runs off 47 balls including 7 boundaries. After the dismissal of Pundir, wicketkeeper batsman Ian Dev Singh played a 10-ball cameo, scoring unbeaten 17 runs with the help of 2 sixes.
KR Makwana was the pick of the bowlers from Saurashtra, who took 3 wickets by conceding 36 runs in 10 overs, while all other bowlers including Ravindra Jadeja, Jaydev Unadkat and DA Jadeja remained wicket-less.
J&K will take on Chhattisgarh in their next outing at AOC Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad, tomorrow.
J&K team is being accompanied by Imraj Thakur as manager, Vijay Sharma as coach, Mushtaq Ahmed Rather as fielding coach and Dr Ajaz Chiloo (BCCI Accredited) as the Physio.

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