Ranji Trophy: Karnataka pile up innings lead of 324 against Delhi
Resuming on their overnight score of 131/3, Karnataka produced a collective effort that saw captain Karun Nair, Kaunain Abbas and CM Gautam score fifties.
Karnataka batted the entire second day to score an imposing 414 and take a first innings lead of 324 runs against Delhi in their Ranji Trophy group league match here on Friday.
Resuming on their overnight score of 131/3, Karnataka produced a collective effort that saw captain Karun Nair, Kaunain Abbas and CM Gautam score fifties to virtually put the game out of Delhi’s reach. Delhi now have two days to bat out of their skin and save the game to earn at least a point.
Night-watchman Abhimanyu Mithun was caught behind early in the day but Karnataka motored on thanks to an 89-run partnership between Nair and Abbas. That, and a 77-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Gautam and Shreyas Gopal ensured Delhi were virtually batted out of the game.
Nair set the tempo well when he hit Pawan Suyal for a six over third man earlier in the day and looked good for much more but his promising innings was cut short by an excellent reaction catch by left-arm spinner Varun Sood off his own bowling.
Abbas carried on the good work he has been doing this season, bringing up his second successive fifty in only his maiden first-class season. Together with Stuart Binny, Abbas ensured Karnataka weren’t troubled much by yet another tricky morning session.
Abbas however was beaten by turn by Sood and trapped leg-before just before lunch. Binny was solid in a 77-ball 32 but he was caught and bowled by Vikas Tokas with a delivery that stopped on him.
By then, Karnataka’s innings found another support in the form of Gautam who stayed unbeaten on 63, hitting nine boundaries. Delhi’s bowlers weren’t exactly sent on a leather hunt but Karnataka’s plan to bat the whole day meant they had to toil hard for every wicket.
Sood was rewarded for his line and length but overall, it was a listless day for Delhi’s bowlers, especially Ishant Sharma, who was even warned after tea for running onto the pitch twice. He put in three spells of 4-1-10-1, 4-0-9-0 and 3-1-10-0 but was blunted by Karnataka’s plans of batting out the entire day.
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