In three previous First Class appearances for Jammu & Kashmir, Lone Nasir hadn’t picked up a wicket. He had scored all of 115 runs, his best being a knock of 44. His selection, therefore, for the Irani Cup fixture against Rest of India was unexpected. So much so that J&K didn’t have a jersey adorning his name and number in place for the game.

If there was a way to announce himself, the 29-year-old all-rounder couldn’t have done much better than snare three wickets on the opening day and follow it up with an entertaining 64 off 58 balls. Not for much longer will he have to wear a shirt with Vivrant Sharma’s name taped on his back.

“My selection was at the last minute. It was unexpected. I wasn’t sure I would be picked even though I had done well in the trial games,” Nasir said at the close of day two.

Nasir’s all-round show has put J&K in a strong position. When he came in to bat at No. 10, the host was teetering on the abyss at 166 for eight. But his 64-run stand with skipper Paras Dogra turned things around. “Such situations are not new to me. I have taken the J&K under-23 team out of such situations many times. The belief was there.”