Ranji Trophy Quarterfinal: Mithun, Gowtham shine to give Karnataka edge
On a spongy M. Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch, Karnataka kept Rajasthan on the backfoot as it bowled out the visitor for 224.
Published : Jan 15, 2019 21:49 IST
Abhimanyu Mithun and Krishnappa Gowtham shared six wickets among themselves as Karnataka bowled Rajasthan out for 224 on the opening day of its Ranji Trophy quarterfinal encounter on Tuesday.
On a spongy M. Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch, the home team kept Rajasthan on the backfoot by picking wickets regularly.
Rajesh Bishnoi (79, 119b, 10x4, 2x6) rode his luck to record his second fifty of the season, while skipper Mahipal Lomror (50, 133b, 7x4) was composed at the crease.
Bishnoi survived no less than three close calls, the first coming when he was yet to get off the mark. A lovely outswinger from Mithun found the edge, but wicketkeeper B.R. Sharath's diving one-handed effort didn't make the cut.
READ: Ranji Trophy Quarterfinal: Avneesh, Vaibhav help Uttarakhand keep Vidarbha at bay
On 71, Bishnoi survived a close LBW shout from off-spinner Gowtham, and a short while later, a top-edge narrowly evaded a sprinting Sharath.
Rajasthan could have been bundled out for much less than 200, if not for a 85-run seventh-wicket stand between Bishnoi and Deepak Chahar (22, 52b). The pair rescued Rajasthan from a precarious 135 for six.
Earlier, leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal started the Rajasthan collapse when he castled opener Chetan Bist (39) with a flipper.
Chetan’s brother Robin Bist (13) and Ashok Maneria (0) both fell leg-before, with the former receiving a debatable decision. Salman Khan’s attempted hook off Mithun went awry, setting the stage for Gowtham to make his mark.
He delivered with a breathtaking delivery to dismiss Lomror, bowling from wide of the crease and getting the ball to straighten sharply. Southpaw Lomror came forward to defend, but ended up playing down the wrong line.
Gowtham returned to take out Deepak, ushering the end of the Rajasthan essay.
The scores: Rajasthan 224 in 77.1 overs (Mahipal Lomror 50, Chetan Bist 39, Rajesh Bishnoi 79, A. Mithun three for 48, K. Gowtham three for 54) vs Karnataka 12 for no loss in 5 overs |