Dream run: Old pals Nizar & Azhar help Kerala enter semis

WHEN Jammu and Kashmir left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq dismissed Aditya Sarwate in the 84th over, Kerala, with only four wickets remaining, had to see off more than 40 overs to draw their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal tie in Pune on Wednesday.

- FIROZ MIRZA

WHEN Jammu and Kashmir left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq dismissed Aditya Sarwate in the 84th over, Kerala, with only four wickets remaining, had to see off more than 40 overs to draw their Ranji Trophy quarterfinal tie in Pune on Wednesday. The equation was clear. Thanks to their one-run first innings lead, Kerala needed a draw while J&K had to secure a win to progress to the semifinals.

It was then the 30-year-old Mohammed Azharuddeen joined Salman Nizar, 27, in the middle. A long partnership was the need of the hour and who else was better suited for the job than the duo of Azharuddeen and Nizar, whose long association dates back to 2011 when they first met at the now defunct KCA Elite Academy in Kochi.