Skipper Deepak Hooda’s (180, 128b, 19x4, 5x6) fire and Karan Lamba’s (73 n.o., 112b, 7x4) ice combined to snuff out Karnataka’s challenge as Rajasthan booked its first Vijay Hazare Trophy final berth since 2006-07 with a six-wicket win at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Thursday.
Reduced to 23 for three while chasing 283, Hooda and Lamba’s 255-run partnership ensured the margin of victory belied Rajasthan’s initial struggles.
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Hooda used his feet with expertise, stepping out and getting in line of the ball by shuffling across to throw the bowlers off their lengths.
After getting to a 54-ball fifty by pulling J. Suchith’s long hop for a six, Hooda launched K. Gowtham for a six over long-on and then cut through covers off the backfoot for a four in the same over. In that over, the 25th of the innings, Rajasthan breached the five-run per-over mark for the first time. Karnataka had taken almost 43 overs to get to that landmark after its fair share of troubles with the new ball. That proved to be one of the key differences between the sides.
Hooda’s hundred came off 85 balls in an over where he toyed with Manoj Bhandage, shuffling across to flick one off his pads before giving the medium pacer the charge to turn a good length ball into a half-volley.
Lamba, meanwhile, rotated the strike and didn’t refrain from slashing when offered room outside off.
Hooda and Lamba’s 255-run partnership ensured the margin of victory belied Rajasthan’s initial struggles. | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji/The Hindu
Hooda struck a discordant note when he pulled a short one from Gowtham into the hands of deep square-leg with Rajasthan five runs adrift of victory, but Karnataka’s fate was sealed by then.
Earlier, after workhorses R. Samarth and Mayank Agarwal failed to fire, Abhinav Manohar (91, 80b, 10x4, 3x6) and Bhandage (63, 39b, 3x4, 5x6) spared the four-time champion the blushes with a 95-run partnership off 68 balls.
Manohar didn’t curb his natural instincts despite Karnataka stuttering at 87 for four. He struck with vehemence and the sound of bat on ball resonated across the empty stands like the knell for Rajasthan.
He was particularly severe on Khaleel Ahmed and Rahul Chahar, who missed their lengths after bowling tight opening spells. Manohar banished them out of the attack, first lofting and pulling Khaleel for two sixes in the 35th over before punishing Chahar by caressing a maximum over cover and then swiping a short one through midwicket.
Manohar was the aggressor in an 89-run alliance with Manish Pandey for the fifth wicket that marked a shift in momentum. However, the tide turned in Karnataka’s favour when Bhandage joined Manohar.
The stocky left-hander made an impression off the second ball he faced – slog sweeping Kukna Ajay Singh for a six. He picked the lengths early, pulling the short stuff from both spinners and pacers in front of square and down the ground.
Bhandage got to his fifty off just 30 balls and eclipsed Manohar, who managed only 25 off 26 balls in the last 10 overs, which proved costly eventually.
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