Karnataka Dominate Day 1 As Mumbai Fold Cheap In Ranji Quarterfinal

Mumbai: Karnataka dominated the first day of the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Mumbai at MCA's BKC ground on Friday. The visitors were 110/2 in 26 overs at stumps, after bowling out Mumbai cheaply for platry 120 in 48.1 overs.

The hosts, missing domestic run-machine Sarfaraz Khan, cut a sorry figure with the bat despite the return of Indian Test batter Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the order. Opening batter Akhil Herwadkar was the last wicket to fall after a defiant 60 in 138 balls that included nine boundaries. Siddesh Lad (12), Suryansh Shedge (10), and Shardul Thakur (16) were the only other batters to enter double figures.

Karnataka pacers Vidwath Kaverappa (3/38), who completed 100 First Class wickets, and Vidyadhar Patil (1 for 36) bowled with discipline. Prasidh Krishna (3 for 21) was deadly in the post-lunch session, and leg spinner Shreyas Gopal (3 for 4) cleaned up the tail.

Mayank Agrawal (54*) scored an unbeaten fifty to take Karnataka closer to Mumbai's score. KL Rahul scored a classy 28 runs in 26 balls with six boundaries and put a 50-run opening stand with Agarwal. In the evening, under the shadow of the nearby buildings, skipper Devdutt Padikkal (17) got an unplayable delivery from Suryansh Shedge to induce an outside edge, and wicket-keeper Akash Anand did the rest behind the stumps.

The visitors who entered the quarterfinal under dramatic circumstances are chasing their ninth Ranji Trophy title and first in the last decade. Mumbai has won the title 42 times.

For Mumbai, Jaiswal (5) was first to go, caught by wicket-keeper Kruthik Krishna off Vidyadhar, getting an outside edge after drawing the Indian Test opener forward in the fourth over, as Mumbai were 9/1.

Musheer Khan joined Herwadkar in the middle, but he couldn't last long. Crisis man Lad tried to play a substantial innings yet again, but he was undone by extra bounce by Kaverappa, who picked his second scalp.

Kaverappa and Vidyadhar bowled a probing line, getting bounce and movement to square up Herwadkar many times, but he held on with Suranysh Shedge to take Mumbai unscathed till lunch.

Krisha's introduction in the eleventh over also brought more control. Slow bowler Gopal was introduced in the 27th over. Mumbai was 70/3 in 29 overs at lunch.

Krishna got among the wickets post lunch, running through the middle order. He got Shedge in the first over after lunch and sent back wicket-keeper batter Akash Anand and allrounder Shams Mulani in consecutive deliveries as Mumbai were reduced to 78/6. Skipper Thakur, in company with Herwadkar tried to launch a fightback, but Kaverappa induced a false stroke from Thakur to end the brief partnership for the seventh wicket and expose the tail. Karnataka’s top wicket taker in the season, Shreyas Gopal, then took the last three wickets, including the prize scalp of Herwadkar, to end the innings in a hurry.

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Tea was taken early, and Karnataka openers Rahul and Agarwal gave visitors a decent start. The wicket had eased a bit, though the odd delivery was bouncing a bit. Shardul, coming back from injury after missing two league games, bowled too full and was punished by Karnataka openers. His first spell of four overs went for 38 runs, though Mohit Awasthi bowled with control from the other end with three runs in his first three overs. KL Rahul played some exquisite shots, including two consecutive offside boundaries off Thakur. Tushar Desphande replaced Thakur in the ninth over.

Awasthi was rewarded for persistence in his fifth over after Rahul charged a delivery that was too short to play through covers and went uppishly to be caught nicely by Tanush Kotian. Agarwal reached fifty off 80 balls with a crisp boundary. Mulani got a sharp turn towards the fag end to give Mumbai hope. Karun Nair survived in the last over as DRS overturned onfield lbw decision, missing the leg.

Earlier, Mumbai won the toss and elected to bat. Left-handed pair of Jaiswal and Herwadkar opened the innings for Mumbai.

Sarfaraz missed out due to viral fever. He didn't field in the previous match due to a hamstring sprain and was rested as a precautionary measure.