In November 2000, Punjab clashed with Jammu & Kashmir in a Ranji Trophy tie in the North Zone league. The game was played at the Burlton Park, a former Test venue since superseded by the PCA ground in Mohali. After winning the toss and electing to make first use of the wicket, the J&K batsmen mustered all of 168 before the innings terminated in the 97th over, late on the first evening. Dinesh Mongia had not been idle in the field, taking a catch and effecting a run-out.

J&K left arm seamer Surinder Singh Bagal created a flutter on the second morning, clean bowling both openers, Ravneet Ricky and Vikram Rathour. And for good measure he also removed one-drop Manish Sharma to leave the hosts reeling at 36/3. Mongia joined Pankaj Dharmani in the middle at this critical moment and for the next six hours and fortyfive minutes, the pair stayed put at the middle, withstanding every trick the bowlers tried.

Batting through the rest of the day, Punjab went in at 366/3 with Dharmani on 148 and Mongia on 176. The association endured another 17.3 overs on the third morning before Dharmani bid adieu, having added the small matter of 328 runs for the fourth wicket with his partner. Last season, Dharmani had shredded the same attack for 305, this time he made a mere 176. If the bowlers thought the worst was over, they were sadly mistaken.

Mongia continued his assault, adding an unbeaten 133 for the sixth wicket with Sandeep Sanwal. Punjab finally called off the massacre before tea but only after Mongia had clubbed his way to an unbeaten 308 (409 balls, 15 fours, 5 sixes). The spin attack of Harbhajan Singh and Sandeep Sawal ran through the J&K line-up once more to hand Punjab a crushing innings and 193 run victory.

In the 66-year-old history of the Ranji Trophy, Dinesh Mongia had made the highest individual score for Punjab.