Vijay Hazare Trophy: Mumbai proves to be too much for Karnataka

Ajinkya Rahane (148, 150b, 13x4, 3x6) and Shreyas Iyer (110, 82b, 5x4, 8x6) pummelled Karnataka into submission and helped Mumbai record a comfortable 88-run victory.

Rahane brought up his eighth List-A century with a single through cover and acknowledged the cheers from the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium faithful.

A destructive batting display from Mumbai proved to be too much to handle for Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, here, on Friday.

Ajinkya Rahane (148, 150b, 13x4, 3x6) and Shreyas Iyer (110, 82b, 5x4, 8x6) pummelled Karnataka into submission and helped Mumbai record a comfortable 88-run victory.

After being asked to bat, Mumbai made a flying start. Opener Prithvi Shaw smacked a 53-ball 60 and put on 106 runs in the company of Rahane. Shaw got going in the ninth over, carting pacer A. Mithun for three fours. A few overs later, the diminutive batsman showcased his tremendous hitting power when he plonked his front foot forward and lofted Mithun over long-on for a big six. He eventually fell to off-spinner K. Gowtham, attempting a cut too close to the body.

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The Rahane-Shreyas show then began, which ran the fielders ragged. The duo settled into a rhythm by taking quick singles and twos, blunting the Karnataka attack. When the pair decided to open up, there was no stopping them. Shreyas, in particular, was severe in the attack. He had little trouble clearing the mid-off fielder, and even when a long-off was stationed, Shreyas had enough in the tank to get the maximums.

Rahane, the more circumspect of the two, was happy to give Shreyas the bulk of the strike. He brought up his eighth List-A century with a single through cover and acknowledged the cheers from the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium faithful.

After Shreyas departed, Shivam Dubey wielded the long handle with an unbeaten nine-ball 23. The Karnataka bowlers did not use the slower balls or yorkers, making it easy for the batsmen to swing cleanly through the line. The final 16 overs, which brought 162 runs, powered Mumbai to a massive 362 for five.

Karnataka’s chase never got going. Opener R. Samarth (20, 23b) and Karun Nair (31, 32b) both top-edged their pull shots, while C.M. Gautam (12) was bowled through bat and pad by left-arm spinner Shams Mulani.

Mayank Agarwal was in fine touch during the course of his 48-ball 66, but when he was intelligently taken out by Shams Mulani, the home team was left in deep waters. Left-arm spinner Mulani lured Mayank into his trap, by forcing the batsman to reach for a ball wide outside off-stump. A weak connection landed in the safe hands of Suryakumar Yadav at long-on. Six-drop K. Gowtham entertained the spectators with a 20-ball 38, but it was not enough to stop Karnataka from slipping to a second-straight loss. The 21-year-old Mulani finished with four for 71, in his fourth List-A appearance.

At Alur grounds, Gurkeerat Mann’s unbeaten 85 helped Punjab coast past Vidarbha by 141 runs. Promising Punjab leg-spinner Mayank Markande took three for 37.

Goa defeated Railways by 42 runs, with Goa pacer Krishna Das standing out with a four-for.