Rest of India clinched the prestigious Irani Cup with a dominant 167 run victory over Jammu and Kashmir, making it a memorable birthday celebration for Captain Rishabh Pant.
IMAGE: Birthday boy Rishabh Pant celebrates his 29th birthday with the Irani Cup triumph. Photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff
Key Points
- Rest of India secured a 167 run victory over Jammu and Kashmir to win the Irani Cup.
- The win served as a birthday gift for Captain Rishabh Pant, who was sidelined with fever.
- Pacers Mukesh Kumar (6/33) and Akash Deep were instrumental, adjusting their lengths in the second innings.
- Young batter Ravichandran Smaran’s century (135) in the second innings was crucial for Rest of India.
Rishabh Pant could not have asked for a better birthday gift. On the day he turned 29, Pant watched from the sidelines as Rest of India stormed to a 167 run win over Jammu and Kashmir in Srinagar to lift the Irani Cup on Sunday.
Down with fever, Pant did not take the field on the fourth day but his team ensured his birthday ended on a high as pacers Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep shared nine wickets between them to bowl J&K out for just 111.
Chasing 279 for victory, J&K needed only to survive the final day and force a draw to win the trophy, having taken a 41 run first innings lead. Instead, Rest of India produced a sensational post-lunch collapse, with Mukesh ripping through the batting with figures of 6/33.
Bowling Strategy Pays Off
Pant’s side had learned from their mistakes in the first innings. After bowling too many deliveries back of a length, the pacers adjusted their lengths and attacked the stumps more consistently in the second innings.
‘Definitely, when you win, all the pain, all the fatigue goes away for sure,’ Pant said at the post-match presentation.
‘Mostly the plan was to bowl fuller in the first innings. That was the conversation we had with the bowlers. That was something we wanted to correct in the second innings because we knew our bowlers were really good.’
The captain admitted there had been frustration after the team failed to stick to its plans in the first innings, but was delighted to see the bowlers execute them when it mattered most.
‘Obviously you will get disappointed because when you’re not sticking to the plan, but at the same time, when you come up with a plan and you stick to it and you can see things happening, it’s lovely to see,’ he said.
Smaran’s Crucial Contribution
A major reason Rest of India were able to put J&K under pressure was young batter Ravichandran Smaran, who followed his first-innings 68 with a superb 135 in the second innings.
Pant was full of praise for Smaran, particularly for the way he responded when the team was under pressure.
‘The way he played in both innings, I think it was outstanding. Especially we were under pressure, especially in the second innings the way he played, it was outstanding,’ Pant said.