Paras Dogra, a veteran of 140 first-class games, is playing his last domestic season.© BCCI
Jammu and Kashmir skipper Paras Dogra seemed frustrated with the standard of umpiring in their Ranji Trophy game against defending champions Mumbai, and hoped that the match officials were a “bit more attentive”. The 40-year-old Dogra, a veteran of 140 first-class games who is playing his last season in domestic cricket, lamented that it “has been going on for years now”. On the second day, ICC elite panel discard Sundaram Ravi couldn’t hear a loud nick off Shreyas Iyer’s edge when it was heard by one and all and later shown on replays.
Then he adjudged Mumbai skipper Ajinkya Rahane caught behind and the batter had crossed the boundary ropes when he was called back again. Ravi ruled Umar Nazir’s delivery as a no-ball but this time there was no replay to corroborate his call. “What to say. This has been going on for years and there’s nothing much that we can do about it. Umpires are human after all and can make mistakes. But had they been a bit more attentive, it would have been fun,” Dogra, a former Himachal Pradesh legend, told reporters after the end of day’s play.
“But it’s part and parcel of the game. That’s why they got DRS. It would have been a good experience to have DRS here, but we can’t control it since there are 10-15 games happening simultaneously. So, it does not make any difference.” Struggling 101 for 7 in their second innings, Mumbai rode on Shardul Thakur’s (113 not out) unbeaten hundred to take their lead to 188 runs by the end of seconds day’s play.
The J&K skipper was all praise for Thakur’s effort.
“Shardul played really well. The ball stopped moving, so that had an impact. That’s when we tried doing something different and tried out bouncers, which did not work. It was one of the best innings (in domestic cricket) that I have seen,” Dogra said.
Dogra believes that if the target stays within 250-run mark, there is match in hand.
“You have to be patient. Still the wicket is playing out well, they are 188 runs ahead. We will have to bat well and I am hopeful. We scored 200 in the last innings and the wicket is getting better, so there’s hope,” he said.
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