Ranji Trophy: Resolute J&K on threshold of history

MUMBAI: “If you want to play at the top level, you must work hard. There is no substitute for it,” Baramulla pacer Auqib Nabi had told TOI during the Ranji Trophy opener this season. His Jammu & Kashmir side had come close to toppling powerful Mumbai for the third time in a row, eventually falling short by just 35 runs.Nabi finished that contest with a seven-wicket haul, carrying forward the momentum from his previous breakthrough campaign, in which he had claimed 44 wickets.This season, the 29-year-old has already taken 46 wickets, and played a pivotal role in Jammu & Kashmir reaching their maiden Ranji Trophy semifinal. In the quarterfinals, Nabi produced a match haul of 12/110 as J&K beat Madhya Pradesh by 56 runs.J&K’s rise in domestic cricket is no fluke. It is the result of sustained hard work, discipline and patience from the players, backed by astute guidance from the support staff led by former Delhi stalwart Ajay Sharma. It begins with captain Paras Dogra, who was set to retire at the end of last season before BCCI president Mithun Manhas — then involved administratively with J&K cricket — persuaded him to continue for one more year. “I believed in him. He believed in me. When it’s written in your destiny, no one can change it,” the 41-year-old told TOI as he prepared for the semifinal against Bengal, starting on Sunday.Dogra has been a calming influence in the squad and, along with coach Sharma, has consistently shown faith in the players — a belief that has now paid rich dividends.“All the players have contributed,” Dogra said, “Ever since we reached the quarterfinals last season, we’ve believed that we can win the Ranji Trophy if we put in a collective effort. The focus was on executing small goals with the bigger picture in mind.”While Nabi has led the bowling attack, J&K boast a healthy blend of experience and youth. Left-arm pacer Sunil Kumar, who made his debut last season, is their second-highest wickettaker with 22 scalps, while left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq (19 wickets) and right-arm pacer Yudhvir Singh (16) have provided strong support. Young off-spinner Vanshaj Sharma, groomed for a bigger role, underlined his potential with a six-wicket haul (6/68) in the second innings against Delhi.Batting, once J&K’s weak link, has also seen marked improvement through collective responsibility.Abdul Samad, who had previously been guilty of throwing away starts and was even dropped last season, has shown maturity this time around.The 24-year-old is enjoying the best first-class season of his career, leading J&K’s run charts with 543 runs in eight matches at an average of 54.30, including one century and three fifties. While the numbers may not appear staggering, the timing of Samad’s contributions — most notably a secondinnings hundred against Hyderabad — has been crucial.