Ranji Trophy | Nabi rocks Karnataka’s batting unit, puts J & K in the driver’s seat

Nabi rocks Karnataka’s batting unit, puts J & K in the driver’s seat

Give someone an inch and they will take a mile. No player has internalised this age-old saying quite like Auqib Nabi.

On day three of the Ranji Trophy final at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium here on Thursday, the Jammu & Kashmir pacer sliced through the Karnataka top-order to show why he is the hottest property in Indian domestic cricket.

On a predominantly batting-friendly surface, but one that was slightly hospitable to off-the-seam movement, Nabi bowled five devastating overs — one before lunch and four after — and excised K.L. Rahul, Karun Nair and R. Smaran to leave the home side tottering at 57 for four.

Karun and Smaran, in fact, fell for zeroes off back-to-back deliveries as Karnataka’s reply to J & K’s giant 584-run first-innings total crumbled like the defence of a shoddily prepared lawyer faced with a shrewd prosecutor.

Opener Mayank Agarwal did emerge with credit, remaining unbeaten on 130 (207b, 17x4), his 21st First Class century and 14th for his State. If a 105-run partnership with Shreyas Gopal (27, 83b, 1x4) for the fifth wicket arrested the bleeding, an unbroken 58-run association with Kruthik Krishna (27 batting, 75b, 2x4) has kept the hope flickering at 220 for five. To what end, Friday will tell.

In the first session, J & K, from an overnight 527 for six, was bowled out for the addition of 57 runs as pacer Prasidh Krishna took five for 98, his fourth five-wicket haul in First Class matches and second against J & K.