Hubli, Feb 24 (NationPress) In an impressive display of skill, Shubham Pundir, aged 27, achieved a remarkable century, while Abdul Samad and Yawer Hassan contributed vital half-centuries, leading Jammu and Kashmir to a strong position of 284/2 at the conclusion of Day 1 in the Ranji Trophy final against the eight-time champions, Karnataka, at the Hubli Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

Throughout the final session of the day, Jammu and Kashmir maintained their strong performance, with Pundir showcasing his batting prowess. However, he lost his partner, Paras Dogra, shortly after the session began, as he exited the field after being struck by a bouncer from Vijaykumar Vyshak. Dogra managed just nine runs off 48 balls.

Star player Abdul Samad stepped in for Dogra and quickly found his rhythm, effectively rotating the strike. In a powerful display, Samad hit three consecutive boundaries in the 69th over, putting pressure on the Karnataka bowlers, who were eager for a breakthrough.

As Samad continued to impress, Pundir reached his maiden century in the Ranji Trophy final with a six off Shikhar Shetty's delivery, completing the milestone in just 186 balls. This achievement made him the first batter from Jammu and Kashmir to score a century in the final of this prestigious tournament.

Samad also shone brightly, securing his fifty off just 64 balls in the 86th over with a single, finishing the day not out at 52, which included five fours and one six.

At the end of Day 1, Pundir remained unbeaten at 117, having struck 12 fours and two sixes. Their partnership of 105 runs brought the team closer to the 300-run mark, with Jammu and Kashmir scoring a total of 106 runs in the final session.

Earlier, half-centuries from opener Yawer Hassan and Pundir had propelled Jammu and Kashmir to a solid 178/2 at tea. Yawer and Pundir resumed their innings in the post-lunch session, consistently rotating the strike to keep the scoreboard ticking. They achieved a century partnership in the 39th over, with Yawer contributing 60 runs and Pundir adding 40 runs. Pundir reached his fifty with a boundary in the 45th over against Vidyadhar Patil, achieving the milestone in 98 balls.

Karnataka finally broke through in the 51st over when Prasidh Krishna dismissed Yawer with a length ball. Yawer narrowly missed a well-deserved century, scoring 88 runs with 13 fours. Jammu and Kashmir made an excellent start after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Openers Qamran Iqbal and Yawer faced a challenging new ball but managed to survive the initial overs before Iqbal was dismissed by Prasidh Krishna for six runs.

The first dismissal for Karnataka came after 45 minutes of play, with Prasidh Krishna removing Qamran. The opener struggled early on, and just as he began to settle, he fell victim to Prasidh's extra bounce, offering a simple catch to KL Rahul at second slip.

Following the wicket, Pundir and Yawer remained unbeaten in the first session, with Jammu and Kashmir finishing at 104/1 at lunch. The team managed to score 72 runs in the second session and 106 runs in the final session of the day.

Brief scores:

Jammu & Kashmir 284/2 (Shubham Pundir 117 not out, Yawer Hassan 88, Abdul Samad 52 not out; Prasidh Krishna 2-36) against Karnataka