By Admin 
Paras Dogra’s 33rd ton in the Ranji Trophy took Jammu & Kashmir to a position of strength on day two of its Elite Group-D clash against Delhi at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
Having resumed on 31 for three, the visitor needed its skipper, who will turn 41 on November 19, to bring all his experience into play and compile 106 to secure a 99-run first-innings lead. Dogra’s effort was ably supported by Abdul Samad’s enterprising 85, helping the side post 310 in response to Delhi’s total of 211. At the close, the host was seven without loss in its second essay.
A partnership of 141 runs between Dogra and Samad for the fifth wicket proved to be the defining phase of play. Coming together at 46 for four, the middle-order batters were just as effective with their varied styles. For Samad to not go on to make a three-figure score was purely down to his impetuosity — he was caught at long-on while trying to deposit left-arm spinner Manan Bhardwaj into the stands.
Pacer Simarjeet Singh finished with a six-wicket haul, but he came to the party too late in the day for Delhi. Having made three breakthroughs on the opening day, the onus was on the 27-year-old to make further inroads for Ayush Badoni and Co. when play resumed on Sunday. But stiffness in his back meant he bowled all of two overs in the first half of the day. By the time he was able to operate at full throttle, the game had begun to slip away from Delhi.
The seven-time champion did not aid its cause by dropping Dogra on 8 and 68. In the first instance, Money Grewal had tempted the 40-year-old into flirting at a full ball in the third over of the day, but the resultant edge was spilled by Ayush Doseja at second slip.
The scores:
Delhi — 1st innings: 211.
Jammu & Kashmir — 1st innings: Qamran Iqbal c Sangwan b Simarjeet 14, Shubham Khajuria c Doseja b Simarjeet 4, Vivrant Sharma run out 14, Sunil Kumar b Simarjeet 1, Paras Dogra c Rawat b Shokeen 106, Abdul Samad c Mathur b Bhardwaj 85, Kanhaiya Wadhawan c Rawat b Grewal 47, Sahil Lotra lbw b Simarjeet 10, Abid Mushtaq b Simarjeet 17, Auqib Nabi c Rawat b Simarjeet 0, Vanshaj Sharma (not out) 0; Extras (w-1, b-8, lb-3): 12; Total (in 91.1 overs): 310.
Fall of wickets: 1-16, 2-27, 3-29, 4-46, 5-187, 6-258, 7-287, 8-307, 9-309.
Delhi bowling: Grewal 17-4-60-1, Simarjeet 16.2-1-52-6, Bhardwaj 25-2-90-1, Shokeen 21.5-1-67-1, Mathur 11-1-30-0.
Delhi — 2nd innings: Arpit Rana (batting) 2, Sanat Sangwan (batting) 5; Total (for no loss. in 2 overs): 7.
J&K bowling: Nabi 1-0-5-0, Lotra 1-0-2-0.