GUWAHATI, Dec 1 � Taking advantage of some sloppy fielding by Assam, Jammu and Kashmir managed to reach a respectable total of 240 for the loss of 7 wickets on the opening day of the four-day Group C Ranji Trophy match. Assam dropped atleast six catches.
Put into bat on a tricky Nehru Stadium wicket here today, J&K had to pass through some critical time in the morning as the Assam pacers kept them under pressure.
The visitors lost two wickets at team�s total of 35. But two useful partnerships for the third and fourth wickets, 59 between Bandeep Singh and Parvez Rasool Zargar and 62 between Zargar and Hardeep Singh respectively dragged them out from troubled waters.
Zargar was their top scorer with 67 for which he faced 88 balls. He hit eight boundaries and a six during his 117-minute knock. Hardeep Singh (39), Bandeep Singh (36) and debutant Obaid Haroon (35 n.o) were the other J&K batsmen who contributed to their team�s total. Paceman Arup Das was the leading wicket taker today with four scalps while Abu Neshim Ahmed and Arlen Konwar shared one each.
The unbeaten eighth wicket partnership between two debutants � Obaid and Washim Raza Paray � also frustrated Assam bowlers as they consumed 86 balls and stayed at the crease for over one hour and added 20 runs.
SCORECARD
Jammu & Kashmir 1st innings: Adil Rishi lbw b AK Das 11, ID Singh c Saikia b Ahmed 11, Bandeep Singh b AK Das 36, Parvez Rassol c Ahmed b Konwar 67, Hardeep Singh c Saikia b AK Das 39, O Haroon not out 35, M Gupta lbw b AK Das 0, R Dayal run out 23, Waseem Raza not out 12. Extras: (lb 6) 6. Total: (7 wickets; 90 overs) 240. Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-35, 3-94, 4-156, 5-183, 6-183, 7-220. Bowling: AN Ahmed 19-2-67-1, AK Das 22-7-58-4, PL Das 16-3-36-0, A Konwar 15-3-44-1, J Syed Mohammad 18-10-29-0.
