J&K senior cricket team is on role with unbeaten streak in this seasons Ranji Trophy cricket tournament with four wins out of five matches played.
Despite having won four matches with bonus points and being on best ever role in Ranji trophy J&K side is still trailing Odisha at top of the points table with two points. Both the teams have four wins and one draw but still Odisha have got 28 points while as J&K have got 26. J&K have got better net run rate then Odisha but the less two points mean J&K hang on at number second position on points table.
So question here is where did J&K missed these two points. J&K’s match against Assam was a draw due to bad weather and teams had to share one point each. If we leave it to that then it is no body’s fault but then if you go and look in to it seriously you will notice serious flaw on part of J&K’s team management which cost them two crucial points against Assam.
J&K were in clear position to get extra two points against Assam owing to first inning lead but the late declaration by team in absence of Parvez Rasool and Irfan Pathan in the team meant J&K had to contend with one point instead of three points in the match.
Against Assam J&K declared its first inning on the score of 460 and then Assam failed to complete its first inning. In the situation and bad weather being constant hurdle it looks total absurd that team that had everything to lose will declare so late. Initially it looked like that it was team decision but when you look in deeply it comes out that it was unilateral decision of team coach Milap Mewada.
“Whole J&K team was ready to declare in and around score of 280 runs. As per senior members in team it was decent total and J&K had ample chance of bundling out Assam well within that total. J&K is always bowling heavy side and their strength is bowling. So it was normal decision that made sense,” said a source in J&K team.
“When same case was pleaded in front of coach Milap Mewada who was calling shots in absence of Parvez and Irfan, the coach refused the suggestion categorically. Seniors pleaded but he listened to none. Everyone watched as J&K declared only after Abdul Samad completed his century and team had scored more than 450 useless runs in first inning,” source added.
Sources in team further said that even J&K Cricket Association CEO was miffed with Coach after getting to know about the blunder that cost J&K two crucial points.
“CEO Ashique Bukhari enquired about the decision. He enquired whether it was coaches or captain’s decision, in this case stand in skipper Shubham Pundir. He was informed that it was coach. He was totally angry and later in the day called coach into his office,” source added.
Experts say that in J&K’s situation it was sane decision to declare inning early as they had everything to lose.
“Match was going out to be draw. Even if J&K would have conceded first inning lead still it would have got one point. It was obvious decision that they could have earned three points if bundling out Assam well within its first inning total. It was idiotic decision from coach and he should taken to task for it,” said a senior player.
If J&K would miss qualifying into next round with four matches to go into the tournament, the two missing points owing to nonprofessional decision taken by coach would be a reason.
“It would be worth seeing how the points table go. We hope that it doesn’t come to these two missing points. Currently team is doing great and arrival of Parvez Rasool has boosted the chances of J&K making it to next round. It is history in the making,” another player said.
J&K will take on table toppers Odisha in its next match of the tournament on January 19 at DRIEMS Ground Cuttack.