Pant reveals Rest of India bowled fuller lengths to win Irani Cup
Rishabh Pant said Rest of India corrected their bowling lengths to dismiss Jammu and Kashmir for 111 and win the Irani Cup.
Rest of India captain Rishabh Pant said the team adjusted its bowling lengths to fuller deliveries in the second innings to bowl Jammu and Kashmir out for 111 and win the Irani Cup by 167 runs. Pant missed the final day with fever but addressed the media after the match on his 29th birthday.
Mukesh Kumar took six for 33 and Akash Deep claimed three for 25 on his first competitive outing since February. Rest of India had conceded a 41-run first-innings lead but corrected its lengths after lunch on day four to dismiss Jammu and Kashmir while they chased 279.
Pant praised young batter Ravichandran Smaran, whose 68 and 135 helped set up the victory. The win gave Rest of India their first Irani Cup title since 2019.
CricHubb Take
The tactical adjustment from back-of-a-length to fuller lengths shows how quickly a domestic side can turn a match around when plans are executed. Pant's absence on the final day did not prevent the team from implementing the change, which suggests the bowlers had already internalised the correction.