Visitors score quick runs on Day Three as Vidarbha bowlers disappoint
n By Paritosh Pramanik
THE two days’ toil in the middle seemed nothing for Karnataka. Openers Robin Uthappa and Mayank Agarwal clobbered a hapless Vidarbha bowling in their pursuit of taking first innings lead on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Group A match at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Saturday.
At stumps on Day Three, Karnataka were 252 for 2, needing another 291 runs to take crucial first innings lead. The manner in which they scored those runs in 62 overs gives a belief to Karnataka to earn three points.
Vidarbha skipper Shalabh Shrivastava had enthused confidence of taking ten Karnataka wickets. But the way things panned out on Saturday it will take a real special effort from his bowlers to prove Shrivastava right.
Vidarbha were banking on tearaway pacer Umesh Yadav. What was on offer was his pale shadow. He failed to intimidate Karnataka openers with his pace even once. He was wayward, spraying deliveries down leg stump and never came close to taking a wicket.
The flat wicket was definitely an added advantage to Karnataka. But what stood out was the way they started the chase despite facing a mountain of 542.
Karnataka openers wasted no time in reducing the gap, scoring at a rate of over five. Uthappa, who missed two matches due to injury, used this game as the best platform to gain his confidence and form.
Uthappa and Mayank Agarwal played with intent as they knocked off 50 runs from just 14.2 overs. There were boundaries hit all over the field as both batsmen clobbered the pedestrian attack.
The openers added 137 runs and Uthappa hit a brutal 86 from just 96 balls before being brilliantly caught by Shrivastava at short covers. He tried to hit Akshay Wakhare over covers but Shrivastava timed his leap to pouch a brilliant catch. The India discard hit 13 boundaries and a six in his short but entertaining stay.
Other seamers Amol Junghade and Shrikant Wagh also failed to trouble the batsmen. Wagh, though gave Vidarbha three chances. But all went in vain. Two came in one over, first when Faiz Fazal dropped Uthappa at point and then the opener’s edge went between wicketkeeper Amol Ubarhande and Rashmi Ranjan Parida at slip.
The strike rate fell marginally after Uthappa’s departure but after tea Agarwal took charge. He hit spinner Sumit Ruikar for two successive sixes and raced to 48 with an exquisite cover drive off Wagh. A pull to fine leg gave him a well deserved half century.
Fortune had favoured Agarwal when on 58 when Ubarhande dropped a sitter off Wagh. The frustrated bowler sent down the next ball down the leg for four byes.
Agarwal missed out on century after being caught at long-on by Wakhare off Ruikar.
KL Rahul and Manish Pandey continued to pile runs. Rahul scored seven sweetly-timed boundaries as he raced to his half century in 94 balls.
Earlier in the morning, Shrivastava could add only six runs to his overnight 187. After surviving a drop in the slip, he edged one again in the same over to CM Gautam. Later Yadav hit three sixes as the tail went for slog.
The last day promises an interesting battle for three valuable points.
n By Paritosh Pramanik
THE two days’ toil in the middle seemed nothing for Karnataka. Openers Robin Uthappa and Mayank Agarwal clobbered a hapless Vidarbha bowling in their pursuit of taking first innings lead on the third day of their Ranji Trophy Group A match at VCA’s Jamtha Stadium on Saturday.
At stumps on Day Three, Karnataka were 252 for 2, needing another 291 runs to take crucial first innings lead. The manner in which they scored those runs in 62 overs gives a belief to Karnataka to earn three points.
Vidarbha skipper Shalabh Shrivastava had enthused confidence of taking ten Karnataka wickets. But the way things panned out on Saturday it will take a real special effort from his bowlers to prove Shrivastava right.
Vidarbha were banking on tearaway pacer Umesh Yadav. What was on offer was his pale shadow. He failed to intimidate Karnataka openers with his pace even once. He was wayward, spraying deliveries down leg stump and never came close to taking a wicket.
The flat wicket was definitely an added advantage to Karnataka. But what stood out was the way they started the chase despite facing a mountain of 542.
Karnataka openers wasted no time in reducing the gap, scoring at a rate of over five. Uthappa, who missed two matches due to injury, used this game as the best platform to gain his confidence and form.
Uthappa and Mayank Agarwal played with intent as they knocked off 50 runs from just 14.2 overs. There were boundaries hit all over the field as both batsmen clobbered the pedestrian attack.
The openers added 137 runs and Uthappa hit a brutal 86 from just 96 balls before being brilliantly caught by Shrivastava at short covers. He tried to hit Akshay Wakhare over covers but Shrivastava timed his leap to pouch a brilliant catch. The India discard hit 13 boundaries and a six in his short but entertaining stay.
Other seamers Amol Junghade and Shrikant Wagh also failed to trouble the batsmen. Wagh, though gave Vidarbha three chances. But all went in vain. Two came in one over, first when Faiz Fazal dropped Uthappa at point and then the opener’s edge went between wicketkeeper Amol Ubarhande and Rashmi Ranjan Parida at slip.
The strike rate fell marginally after Uthappa’s departure but after tea Agarwal took charge. He hit spinner Sumit Ruikar for two successive sixes and raced to 48 with an exquisite cover drive off Wagh. A pull to fine leg gave him a well deserved half century.
Fortune had favoured Agarwal when on 58 when Ubarhande dropped a sitter off Wagh. The frustrated bowler sent down the next ball down the leg for four byes.
Agarwal missed out on century after being caught at long-on by Wakhare off Ruikar.
KL Rahul and Manish Pandey continued to pile runs. Rahul scored seven sweetly-timed boundaries as he raced to his half century in 94 balls.
Earlier in the morning, Shrivastava could add only six runs to his overnight 187. After surviving a drop in the slip, he edged one again in the same over to CM Gautam. Later Yadav hit three sixes as the tail went for slog.
The last day promises an interesting battle for three valuable points.
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