If not for some late-afternoon tardiness, Karnataka would have finished firmly on top at the end of day two of its Ranji Trophy match against Goa at the SDNR Wadiyar Stadium here on Saturday.
Propelled by fine centuries from Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal, Karnataka was coasting along at 238 for one, just 83 runs adrift of Goa’s first-innings total.
Mayank will be happy after putting his side in a dominant position.
| Photo Credit:
K. BHAGYA PRAKASH
But a rush of blood from Padikkal cost him (103, 143b, 13×4), as he charged at off-spinner Mohit Redkar, only to find himself in no man’s land and edge a catch to slip. Mayank sliced left-arm spinner Darshan Misal straight to point (114, 179b, 10×4).
At stumps, Karnataka was 253 for four, 68 runs in the red. With Manish Pandey still injured, the host will need Nikin Jose (3 batting), Sharath Srinivas (0 batting) and all-rounder Shubhang Hegde to do the heavy lifting.
In hindsight, the 93 runs Karnataka allowed Goa to add to the overnight 228 for eight seemed one too many. Tailender Heramb Parab brandished his willow like a stick weapon (53, 81b, 8×4, 1×6) while Arjun Tendulkar displayed a good dose of elegance (52, 112b, 3×4, 1×6).
Both however paled in comparison to Mayank and Padikkal during the Karnataka batters’ 211-run second-wicket stand. After opener D. Nischal fell early, leg-before to a ball from Misal that kept low, the duo was full of elegant drives, deft nudges and delicate steers. Mayank reached his fifty with a drive past mid-off, while Padikkal got there with a square-driven boundary.
The Goa bowlers tried crippling the home batters by bowling short and a largely leg-stump line. Padikkal, though, swayed to execute an upper-cut, pulled pacer Felix Alemao to move into the 90s and got to his fourth First Class hundred with a slapped four off Tendulkar and a hard-run double. Mayank got his 17th with a fierce flat-batted boundary past Redkar.
Goa seemed set to suffer further, and be buried under a mountain of runs. But a late turnround means it will return on day three still alive and kicking.
The scores:
Goa – 1st innings: Ishaan Gadekar c Sharath b Vyshak 6, Suyash Prabhudessai b Rohit 24, K.V. Siddharth c Jose b Koushik 2, Snehal Kauthankar c Jose b Venkatesh 83, Darshan Misal st. Sharath b Rohit 39, Deepraj Gaonkar c sub b Rohit 0, Samar Dubhashi b Vyshak 19, Arjun Tendulkar c Sharath b Venkatesh 52, Mohit Redkar b Vyshak 16, Heramb Parab b Venkatesh 53, Felix Alemao (not out) 3.
Extras (b-4, lb-12, w-2, nb-6): 24; Total (in 110.1 overs): 321.
Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-12, 3-45, 4-127, 5-131, 6-181, 7-196, 8-221, 9-314.
Karnataka bowling: Koushik 26-8-49-1, Vyshak 25-5-76-3, Venkatesh 19.1-3-41-3, Rohit 29-5-90-3, Shubhang 8.1-0-28-0, Mayank 2-0-13-0, Jose 0.5-0-8-0.
Karnataka – 1st innings: D. Nischal lbw b Misal 16, Mayank Agarwal c Gadekar b Misal 114, Devdutt Padikkal c Misal b Redkar 103, Nikin Jose (batting) 3, Rohit Kumar c Dubhashi b Redkar 2, Sharath Srinivas (batting) 0.
Extras (b-5, lb-6, w-1, nb-3): 15; Total (for four wkts. in 64 overs): 253.
Fall of wickets: Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-238, 3-246, 4-253.
Goa bowling: Tendulkar 8-1-36-0, Parab 5-0-28-0, Misal 24-1-68-2, Redkar 18-2-65-2, Alemao 9-1-45-0.