6 months ago
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The 3rd time of a Ranji Trophy league crippled often drifts toward dull attrition, but Monday’s play astatine the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium was thing but ordinary. With some Maharashtra and Karnataka hopeless for six points, the penultimate time of this Group B clash turned into a gripping conflict — and acceptable up a tantalising finale.
The time saw Maharashtra’s lower-order astir hitch retired Karnataka’s first-innings vantage earlier 2 flashes of brilliance successful the tract handed the visitors a slender 13-run lead. By stumps, Karnataka was 144 for five, starring by 157 runs, with skipper Mayank Agarwal (64 n.o., 145b, 6x4 ) erstwhile again holding fort successful hunt of a lifeline for his team.
Resuming 113 runs down Karnataka’s 313, Maharashtra’s overnight brace Jalaj Saxena and Vicky Ostwal started brightly. Saxena punished thing loose, and the duo added captious runs earlier Vidwath Kaverappa yet recovered the borderline arsenic Ostwal nicked to the slips. Saxena, unflappable till then, perished for a fluent 76 erstwhile helium overreached for a cover-drive and popped a drawback to Mohsin Khan astatine covers — a superb diving effort that turned the tide.
Mohsin, with the ball, soon accounted for Rajneesh Gurbani, arsenic Karun Nair pocketed a elemental drawback successful the slips. Ramakrishna Ghosh counterattacked, but his adventurous moving outgo Maharashtra dearly. In a bid to clasp strike, helium pushed for a risky 2nd run, lone for Abhinav Manohar to swoop successful from sweeper-cover and deed the stumps straight — leaving Ghosh good abbreviated of his crease successful the archetypal implicit of the 30-minute greeting league extension.
Maharashtra’s Jalaj Saxena celebrates the wicket of Abhilash Shetty. | Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI
In Karnataka’s 2nd innings, Maharashtra’s bowling brace of Mukesh Choudhary and Jalaj Saxena continued their relentless rhythm. Choudhary’s transportation that sent K.L. Shrijith’s off-stump cartwheeling was a standout moment, portion Saxena’s precocious onslaught — removing night-watcher Abhilash Shetty with conscionable 2 balls near — ensured Maharashtra ended the time with the momentum.
With Karnataka’s pb lone 157 and 5 wickets remaining, the last time promises a choky decorativeness — 1 wherever each run, and each spell, volition count.
The scores:Karnataka – 1st innings: 313
Maharashtra – 1st innings: Prithvi Shaw c Aneesh b Mohsin 71, Arshin Kulkarni st Shrijith b Shreyas 34, Siddhesh Veer st Shrijith b Shreyas 0, Ankeet Bawane b Shreyas 6, Sachin Dhas lbw b Mohsin 21, Saurabh Nawale 26, Jalaj Saxena c Mohsin b Kaverappa 72, Vicky Ostwal c Smaran b Kaverappa 20, Ramakrishna Ghosh tally retired 36, Rajneesh Gurbani c Karun b Mohsin 1, Mukesh Choudhary (not out) 0; Extras (b-6, lb-5, nb-1, w-1): 13; Total (in 99.2 overs): 300.
Fall of wickets: 1-98, 2-100, 3-112, 4-114, 5-139, 6-183, 7-256, 8-282, 9-292.
Karnataka bowling: Kaverappa 18-0-74-2, Abhilash 7-0-35-0, Shreyas 35-5-70-4, Venkatesh 8-1-46-0, Mohsin 31.2-4-64-3.
Karnataka – 2nd innings: Aneesh K.V. c Arshin b Ostwal 17, Mayank Agarwal (batting) 64, K.L. Shrijith b Choudhary 29, Karun Nair c Ghosh b Choudhary 15, R. Smaran lbw b Choudhary 4, Abhilash Shetty lbw b Saxena 4; Extras (b-9, lb-1, w-1): 11; Total (for 5 wkts. successful 49.4 overs): 144.
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-98, 3-131, 4-135, 5-144.
Maharashtra bowling: Choudhary 18-2-70-3, Ghosh 6-1-10-0, Saxena 16.4-1-36-1, Ostwal 9-5-18-1.
