HUBBALLI/CHENNAI: The champagne was on ice since Friday evening. A plane-load of top officials of the state descended on the quiet expanse of the stadium here to get first-hand glimpse of history. Jammu and Kashmir, who was once considered the punching bag of the North Zone cricket, lifted the Ranji Trophy title, getting the better of a more fancied side, Karnataka. The team was ecstatic and celebrated with every ounce of their energy left after five days of toil. They were hugging, yelling and shouting.
The story of an underdog is always special. It is always peppered with emotional paeans, untold tales of endurance as also-rans and more so the spark that led to their revival. Jammu and Kashmir too had its share of a rich narrative. For a side whose state unit is always embroiled in needless controversies, the title will be more than just a balm on deep wound; cathartic.
One man who can claim to have brought this kind of semblance in the team is Ajay Sharma – the coach. His story is unique, as reported by this newspaper first and multiple times. He was called by now president of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) when he was heading the J&K panel to look after the day to day affairs of the state cricket team.
For Sharma, the moment has been surreal. Something written in the realms of dream. Yet, before the final, he had endured sleepless nights. Such was the enormity of the occasion. "I featured in six Ranji finals and won twice, scored centuries as well but this never happened. Call it anxiety but somewhere that was in mind that if we win this contest, history will be made. We have good players but that history thing might have made me sleepless," he told this newspaper. Call it premonition or belief, the team just did that. Wrote a new chapter in the history of Indian domestic cricket.
Auqib Nabi, a home-bred bowler has caused trouble to entire gamut of batters across formats in the last two or three domestic seasons. The pacer learnt his craft on streets of Baramulla. He was the chief de architect, like during the entire two years of J&K’s Ranji travails, against Karnataka as well. But this was not upset by any standard. Anyone who has been following domestic cricket in the last three years would vouch for this team as it ascended the ladder bit by bit.
The march to the final itself was surreal --- written in the realms of dream. In the semifinal they conceded the lead but came back to win. The team seemed destined to be winners.
In the summit clash, the heavily-fancied Karnataka, eight-time champions with a plethora of India stars, past and present, trailed by 477 runs when they went to stumps on Friday. Draw was all J&K needed after taking a 291-run lead. Saturday was just a mere formality on the field, but even then, J&K showed that they are here to dominate and not just compete. Qamran Iqbal, with an unbeaten 160, and Sahil Lotra (101 n.o) squeezed the life out of Karnataka before eventually shaking hands and celebrating the biggest moment of their lives. The scoreboard, by then, read J&K - 342/4 declared.
Skipper Paras Dogra, who had led from the front all through the season put it succinctly on what this victory means. "I cannot explain and I don't have any words. It is the biggest thing in my life. Biggest gratitude I will have in my life before I leave this word," he said after leading J&K to their destiny. There is going to be a lot of celebration, and a lot more stories of gratitude in the days to come, but one thing is certain for sure. This is not the final destination for J&K cricket, but a beginning of bigger things to come.