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BENGALURU: The equation for Karnataka was plain and simple when Haryana skipper Ankit Kumar called right at the toss and invited the home side to bat in their final Ranji Trophy league engagement at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. Karnataka needed a bevy of points to make it to the knockouts and they had to bat deep to have any chance of harvesting those points.
The execution wasn’t as firm as the plan. Karnataka’s top order delivered mixed results while the middle-order didn’t quite capitalise on a decent platform. At stumps, Karnataka were 267/5 in 89 overs, a score that would disappoint the home side but would cheer the visitors, especially since the wicket had eased considerably in the final session.
Karnataka’s lineup included three Test players – Mayank Agarwal (91), KL Rahul (26) and Devdutt Padikkal (43) – but a big score eluded the latter two. Agarwal in the company of KV Aneesh had begun adroitly but Haryana’s bowlers were persistent without being flamboyant and that trait eventually paid off.
The new-ball pair of Anshul Kamboj (2/25) and Ajit Chahal kept a tight line and got the length almost accurate although the first 20 overs were a toil amidst a defensive field setting. But just when Agarwal was opening up and finding the gaps, Kamboj’s nagging persistence paid off as he knocked back Aneesh’s middle stump.
Embarrassingly, the crowd celebrated Aneesh’s exit since it meant Rahul would walk out next. His stay didn’t quite befit the welcome. Still Karnataka, at 88/1 at lunch, were in a fine position since their most experienced batters at the crease.
Rahul was just settling into what looked like a promising innings, when a peach of a delivery from Kamboj, who induced a faint edge and was taken by wicketkeeper Rohit Sharma, ended the threatening partnership.
Agarwal, who completed his half-century in the first over after lunch, found his mojo with the spinners coming on. The skipper stepped out, cut and drove assuredly, clobbering the seasoned Jayant Yadav into the stands twice while pasting Nishant Sindhu around the ground. Agarwal and Padikkal built a quick 84-ball 62 association, but that partnership too was nipped just when it was threatening to blossom.
After a fine cover-driven boundary which took him into the 90s, Agarwal, who survived a close call off the first delivery of the day, looked to go after Anuj Thakral (2/74) but only holed out to Kamboj at deep point. At 161/3 and the top three back in the dressing room, the onus was on southpaws Padikkal and R Smaran (35). But the home team lost both batters against the run of play. Padikkal was the first to go, ending the 59-run association. With Thakral coming around the wicket, he misread the line and was caught plumb in front. Smaran followed with a Sindhu delivery turning in sharply to trap the previous match double centurion in the front.
KL Shirjith and Yashovardhan Parantap did well to see off the remaining 23 overs with their patient unbeaten 139-ball 45.
Karnataka made three changes to the line-up with Rahul and Vidwath Kaverappa coming in place of Abhinav Manohar and Abhilash Shetty. Leggie Shreyas Gopal, who is nursing a niggle, was replaced by Hardik Raj.
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