J&Ok’s Abid weaves magic to disarm Pondicherry in Ranji Trophy conflict

It would have been Deja Vu for Jammu and Kashmir (J&Ok), watching left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq run via the Pondicherry batting line-up, decided to safe a seemingly inconceivable win for his workforce.

With 87 to win in two days and a session, anybody would have thought Pondicherry was all set to wrap up the match. Even the Pondicherry captain, Rohit Damodaran, clearly thought so.

But Abid didn’t suppose so. “When I went onto the ground, I told my bowling coach, This score is a far cry for them. Because, the ball was turning sharply. That’s why, I told him, Don’t worry, I will show you (what I mean),” he mentioned after his workforce’s 19-run win over Pondicherry on the third day of the sixth-round match in Elite Group-D of the Ranji Trophy on the Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP) Siechem floor on Sunday.

After the third session on the second day, Rohit regarded bewildered, explaining to a assist employees that the incoming deliveries off the left-arm spinners had been laborious to face.

Abid concurs that the arm-ball has been his main weapon on turners. “When I hold the ball tight, the ball goes straight. That is difficult to play on turning tracks. I work on the arm-ball for almost 15-20 minutes in every practice session,” he mentioned.

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In the third session on the second day, when Pondicherry started its chase and was diminished to 35 for seven, Abid claimed 5 for 17 to finish his second ten-wicket match haul to trigger a turnaround for his workforce and get it pumped up with perception. After all, J&Ok had been bowled out for 106 inside the first session on the primary day, Pondicherry had managed a 66-run first-innings lead, and J&Ok was once more bowled out for 152 for the house workforce to get solely 87 to win. The odds had been lifeless set towards J&Ok.

Incidentally, Abid’s first ten-wicket match haul had additionally are available the same state of affairs. And he had equally helped his workforce obtain a seemingly inconceivable win.

When Vidarbha was to get 141 to win in round one-and-a-half days within the third spherical of the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy season, Abid picked up eight for 18 for or not it’s be bowled out for 101. He took six wickets in three overs – one, two, and three in every over!