CHENNAI: Until the middle of third day, the skies were still gloomy. Home team Bengal had taken the lead, Jammu and Kashmir were tottering on the brink. Only a miracle could have saved them. And it came in the form of Auqib Nabi and Sunil Kumar who took four wickets each to skittle Bengal out for just 99. A target of 126 was achievable.
On Wednesday they scripted history. Their journey, though fairytale-ish, has had its share of struggles and trepidation.
J&K head coach Ajay Sharma still remembers the day when conceding a first innings lead just by a solitary run deprived them a place in the Ranji Trophy semifinal last season. The last pair of Kerala added 81 runs much to the dismay of the J&K team taking their score to 281 — one run more than J&K’s first innings total of 280. That was J&K’s third entry into the last-eight stage in 66 years but it ended in a big heartbreak. And he hoped nothing liked that happened this time.
J&K came back stronger this season and not only went past the quarterfinals but also made it to their maiden final beating Bengal by six wickets in Kalyani on Wednesday. “That pain was gone when we defeated Madhya Pradesh in Indore to make it to our first semifinal,” Sharma told
this daily.
For a side that started participating in the premier domestic competition in 1959-60 and waited 23 years for their first win, it’s a historic moment. Considered underdogs for decades, J&K made cricket connoisseurs sit up and take notice of them when they entered their maiden quarterfinals in 2013-14. They repeated the feat six years later but once again fell short.
A couple of years later, the J&K High Court directed the BCCI to manage J&K Cricket Association affairs due to mismanagement and allegations of financial irregularities. The Indian cricket board then formed a three-member sub-committee that comprised Mithun Manhas till he was elected unanimously as the BCCI president a few months ago. Mismanagement and allegations of financial irregularities led to formation of a three-member sub-committee that comprised Mithun Manhas till he was elected as the BCCI president.
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as J&K not only got professional coaches and support staff but also saw talent hunt programmes being organised regularly. Left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar, who played a key role in J&K's win over Bengal in the semifinal by picking seven wickets in the match, is a product of such programmes. "Sunil was first given a chance in the white-ball format and gradually inducted in the red-ball team. We hold camps and tour various states during the off season."
The committee also revamped JKCA hostel ground, equipping it with multiple practice wickets. Jammu's GGM Science College Ground also got red-soil pitches for the training of the team. The players across all age groups started getting Kookaburra and SG balls for practice.
Positive changes ushered in positive results.