Ranji Trophy Final, Day 3 Preview: Will Jammu And Kashmir Declare? Famed Karnataka Batting Under Scanner

Jammu and Kashmir continued to pile on the runs on Day 2 against Karnataka, reaching 527 for 6 at stumps in Hubballi on Wednesday (February 25) during the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 final. It remains to be seen whether and when the first-time finalists declare their innings on Day 3.

Story So Far

Six out of J&K's top seven batters have notched up fifty-plus scores, with Shubham Pundir finishing with a standout century (121) and Sahil Lotra (57 not out) still at the crease.

Captain Paras Dogra too made a gutsy 70, but his controversial head-butting of Karnataka substitute fielder KV Aneesh made all the headlines.

Though the contents of Aneesh's alleged sledging weren't known, Dogra tried to downplay the incident by saying that it was something that happened in the "heat of the moment". The visiting side's skipper has reportedly been fined 50 per cent of his match fees as punishment.

It has been a real toil for the Karnataka bowlers, barring India international Prasidh Krishna, who has returned figures of 3/90 in 29 overs so far. The eight-time champions will seek early inroads on the third morning to try and stay in the contest.

What Could Happen Next?

The pitch at the KSCA Hubli Cricket Ground has not offered much for pacers or spinners in 156 overs of play thus far. Hence, while the hosts have found the going tough, J&K bowlers would also need to work hard in their pursuit of 10 Karnataka wickets, once their own innings concludes.

Remember that in case of a draw, the team with the first-innings lead will be declared the champions of the 2025-26 edition of Indian domestic cricket's premier red-ball competition. Given the expected deterioration in the pitch on Days 3, 4 and 5, Dogra's men taking the lead appears to be the likelier outcome, though the pedigreed batters of Karnataka (including KL Rahul, skipper Devdutt Padikkal, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair) cannot be counted out by any means.

Also under the scanner would be the weather, considering how bad light forced an early end to the second day. The forecast is for clear to partly cloudy skies, with a maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius and minimum of 18 degrees. The probability of precipitation, though, is just one per cent.