One team fought hard, the other wilted from a position of strength. It was a Sunday of the underdog.
Jammu & Kashmir displayed belief, Tamil Nadu showed its tendency to implode.
When the dust settled, the visitors celebrated a shock four-wicket win in this Elite Group C Vijay Hazare duel here. The host walked back despondently.
Tamil Nadu had nowhere to hide after crumbling from 101 for one in the 20th over to be shot out for 168 in the 40th against an attack that was disciplined but not threatening, on a pitch a tad sluggish but without any demons.
Bowling with purpose
Jammu & Kashmir will remember the day. Its bowlers operated to a plan, the fielding was tight and then the team’s combative skipper Parvez Rasool guided the side home in a tense last over finish with a feisty 71 not out (70b, 3x4, 2x6) under pressure.
Even as the light was fading at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Tamil Nadu’s chances of qualifying — the side now has 20 points from eight matches — were being gradually snuffed out.
Jammu & Kashmir, already out of the competition, had nothing to lose. Rasool won the toss in a match reduced to 41-overs-a-side after the morning rain and then his team showed spunk.
Tamil Nadu’s collapse after a fluent 82-run second wicket partnership between Abhinav Mukund (49, 63b, 5x4) and M. Vijay (44, 50b, 3x4, 1x6) in 98 balls was inexplicable.
Lack of application by the batsmen — some reckless strokeplay was on view — were evident.
Abhinav played across to steady left-arm spinner Waseem Raza and Vijay miscued one while attempting to force paceman Umar Alam through covers.
Then the batting came unstuck; the batsmen appeared and disappeared.
For J & K, Alam sent down his seamers with control. The lanky paceman with a high-arm action bowled an exemplary off-stump line, rarely erred in length and gave little away.
Pressure produces wickets and Alam picked up as many as four of them. His seam and wrist position are his strengths.
Then, J & K lost early wickets in the chase but a 66-run fourth-wicket partnership in 82 balls between the left-handed Shubham Pundir (30) and Rasool took the side to the doorstep of victory.
Rasool drove with panache, lofted into the empty spaces, pulled with power and ran hard to disrupt the Tamil Nadu attack in which only C. V. Varun impressed with his assorted spin.
The scores:
Tamil Nadu 168 in 39.4 overs (Abhinav Mukund 49, M. Vijay 44, Umar Alam four for 26) lost to J & K 169 fo six in 40.3 overs (Shubham Pundir 30, Parvez Rasool 71 n.o., C.V. Varun three for 34). Match reduced to 41-overs-a-side.
Rajasthan 177 for nine in 43 overs (Manendra Singh 31, Mahipal Lomror 79 n.o., Ishan Porel four for 30) lost to Bengal 181 for four in 37.4 overs (Vivek Singh 65, Manoj Tiwary 56 n.o., Anustup Majumdar 36 n.o.). Match reduced to 43-overs-a-side.
Gujarat 107 in 25 overs (Piyush Chawla 41 n.o., Varun Aaron three for 21) lost to Jharkhand 108 for five in 21.4 overs (Ishan Kishan 64, Piyush Chawla three for 21). Match reduced to 25-overs-a-side.