Shubham, Vivrant score brilliant fifties after delayed start

Ashu Kumar 

JAMMU, Feb 2: Skipper Shubham Khajuria and promising batter Vivrant Sharma showed stellar grit and tenacity to notch up magnificent half-centuries, while Abdul Samad carried forward his sublime form to help J&K score 168/2 against Uttarakhand after a delayed start due to wet outfield in the ongoing Ranji Trophy Elite Group-D match at JKCA Hostel Ground here today.

Earlier, winning the toss and batting first, J&K began their innings on a disastrous note as young opening batter Qamran Iqbal was dismissed without scoring on the third ball of the very first over of their innings.

However, another opening batter Shubham Khajuria and number-3 Vivrant Sharma played sensibly and applied with a mixed approach--an amalgam of offence and defence to take the score to 119 runs in 26.2 before Shubham's dismissal.

Shubham Khajuria scored superb 58 runs off 73 balls, studded with 6 fours and one six, while Vivrant continued brilliance alongwith newcomer Abdul Samad and took the score to 168/2 in 39 overs at the draw of stumps on day-1 today.

Vivrant remained unbeaten on 78 runs off 110 balls, studded with 9 boundaries and one six, while Samad was at the crease on 31 runs off 47 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes. The batting trio sent the bowlers on a leather-hunt and hit the ball with fluid grace and utter brilliance.

For Uttarakhand, D Dhapola was the only successful bowler, who took 2 wickets by conceding 50 runs in his 10 overs, while all other five bowlers remained wicketless.