Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 8: Skipper Ian Dev Singh Chauhan led from the front and scored a marvelous unbeaten century on a turning track to help J&K reach to somewhat respectable total of 215 runs in the Ranji Trophy Group-C match at Perintalmanna Cricket Stadium, Malappuram in Kerala, today.
Earlier, winning the toss and electing to bat first, J&K skipper Ian Dev Singh salvaged a lone battle and carried his bat through the innings in his heroic knock of unbeaten 117 runs on a track where none of the other batsmen could show promise.
According to reports reaching here, Ian was rock solid in defence, though precarious in leaving and weaving in his initial part of the innings, but elegant in driving. He played like a hero and made small partnerships with Bandeep Singh (12), Manik Gupta (22) and Obaid Haroon (11). None of the other batsmen among the young brigade of Jammu and Kashmir managed to cross the double figure mark including the promising middle order batsman Parvez Rasool, who while charging down the wicket against left-spinner Shahid was stump by wicketkeeper Kadoth at his individual score of just 2 runs. Ian Dev was the only batsman who negotiated the left-arm spinner CP Shahid beautifully, who otherwise, wrecked havoc in the J&K camp by scalping 8 wickets and seemed almost unplayable in his entire spell.
This was J&K skipper’s sixth century in Ranji Trophy who second consecutive ton in the ongoing season. For Kerala, CP Shahid bagged 8 wickets while Manukrishanan and Prasanth claimed one wicket each. In reply, Kerala were 0/0 at the draw of stumps on day-1, today.
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