Rishabh Pant revealed the key factors that helped Rest of India beat Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs to win the Irani Cup in SrinagarRead on for the full story.
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Rishabh Pant after Rest of India’s Irani Cup victory against Jammu and Kashmir(Photo: IANS)
Rest of India produced a strong comeback to defeat Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs and lift the Irani Cup in Srinagar on SundayAfter conceding a 41-run first-innings lead, Rest of India turned the game around with a big second-innings total and a superb bowling display.
The victory was set up by Ravichandran Smaran’s brilliant 135, while Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep then ran through the J&K batting line-upMukesh finished with 6/33 and Akash picked up 3/25 as J&K were bowled out for just 111 while chasing 279.
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Pant explains the bowling change
Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant revealed that the bowlers made an important change in their approach in the second inningsInstead of bowling too short, the team decided to attack the stumps and bowl fuller.
Pant said the plan had been discussed before the match, but the bowlers did not execute it properly during J&K’s first inningsThe team corrected that mistake when it mattered most.
“Definitely, when you win, all the pain, all the fatigue goes away for sureMostly the plan was to bowl fuller in the first inningsThat was the conversation we had with the bowlers that we were like, we would back up the length.
“That was something we wanted to correct in the second innings because we knew our bowlers were really good, but the problem was the first innings we bowled too much back of the length, and we corrected that and bowled fuller and fuller in the second innings,” Pant said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Pant says ‘It’s lovely to see’
The change in bowling lengths made a big difference as J&K lost their last seven wickets for just 22 runsThe hosts had started their chase well and reached 89/3, but the Rest of India attack took control after lunch.
Pant admitted that the team was disappointed when it failed to follow the plan in the first inningsHowever, he was pleased to see the bowlers execute the same idea successfully in the second innings.
“See, definitely the plan was fuller on the stumpObviously 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.”
Pant praises Smaran’s match-winning knock
While the bowlers finished the job, Smaran played a major role in putting Rest of India in a position to defend a challenging target.
After scoring 68 in the first innings, the young batter came up with a superb 135 in the second inningsHis knock helped Rest of India recover from a difficult position and post 319, giving J&K a target of 279.
Pant was full of praise for Smaran, especially for the way he handled pressure when Rest of India were struggling.
“Today all the pieces fell in place, but at the same time, you know, like you mentioned, Smaran, the way he played in both innings, I think it was outstanding innings, especially we were under pressure, especially in the second innings the way he played, it was outstanding,” concluded Pant.
The win gave Rest of India their 31st Irani Cup title, while J&K missed out on completing the domestic double after their historic Ranji Trophy triumph.
