Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Heavy rain continues to spoil Karnataka vs Kerala contest

At the Alur Grounds near here on Saturday, all of 27 overs of play was possible on day two, with Kerala moving from an overnight 88 for no loss to 161 for three.

Published : Oct 19, 2024 19:43 IST , BENGALURU - 2 MINS READ

Kerala skipper Sachin Baby in action against Karnataka on day two of the Ranji Trophy encounter at the Alur Grounds in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Kerala skipper Sachin Baby in action against Karnataka on day two of the Ranji Trophy encounter at the Alur Grounds in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: N. SUDARSHAN
infoIcon

Kerala skipper Sachin Baby in action against Karnataka on day two of the Ranji Trophy encounter at the Alur Grounds in Bengaluru on Saturday. | Photo Credit: N. SUDARSHAN

But for a miracle, Karnataka looks set to finish a second straight Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C match with one point after multiple spells of heavy rain washed out two of the three sessions on day two of the contest against Kerala.

At the Alur Grounds near here on Saturday, all of 27 overs of play was possible on day two, with Kerala moving from an overnight 88 for no loss to 161 for three. As the sun went down, there was more precipitation, which can potentially dent chances of a full day’s play on Sunday and further exhaust Karnataka’s possibilities of progressing from a tough group.

In fact, for about 20 minutes prior to lunch, the players had the company of only a mild and unthreatening drizzle. Little did they expect it to acquire monstrous properties and keep the players locked in the dressing room for the rest of the day.

The sun did come out at around 2.30 p.m., and that too in blazing fashion. The ground staff removed the covers and the super-soppers were hard at work. But at about 3.30 p.m. the umpires decided that no amount of intense sunshine will be able to dry the field in time for a few overs’ play.

READ | Washington, Pradosh tons render Delhi powerless, give Tamil Nadu an edge on Day 2

Karnataka started the morning brightly as speedster V. Koushik had the dangerous Rohan Kunnummal (63, 88b, 10x4, 1x6) caught by R. Smaran at short-cover in the fifth over of the day. Four balls later, the compact Vathsal Govind was pinned to the crease by V. Vyshak and dismissed leg-before.

B. Aparajith (19, 58b, 3x4) and skipper Sachin Baby (23 batting, 62b, 3x4) resisted for a while by coming together for a slow but steady 50-run partnership for the third wicket. But leggie Shreyas Gopal induced a false shot from Aparajith and Vyshak completed a fine running catch from mid-on.

That brought Sanju Samson to the crease and he looked in pristine touch (15, 13b, 2x4, 1x6), smacking Shreyas for a giant slapped six over deep mid-wicket, and cutting and driving medium-pacer Vidyadhar Patil for two boundaries. But none of it could please the rain gods.

SCOREBOARD
Kerala - 1st innings: Vathsal Govind lbw b Vyshak 31, Rohan Kunnummal c Smaran b Koushik 63, B. Aparajith c Vyshak b Shreyas 19, Sachin Baby (batting) 23, Sanju Samson (batting) 15.
Extras (b-4, lb-6): 10; Total (for three wickets in 50 overs): 161.
Fall of wickets: 1-94, 2-94, 3-144.
Karnataka bowling: Koushik 19-8-43-1, Vidyadhar 14-3-43-0, Vyshak 11-3-34-1, Hardik 2-0-13-0, Shreyas 4-0-18-1.
Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment