An imperious double ton by Mayank Agarwal put Karnataka firmly in control of the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Saurashtra at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.
From an overnight 110, the skipper finished on 249 (429b, 28x4, 5x6) to take the hosts’ total to 407. If he had not been the last man to be dismissed – run out by Sheldon Jackson – he would have become only the second Karnataka opener to have carried his bat in the competition after K.L. Rahul (vs. Uttar Pradesh, 2013/14).
Where on day one he largely played within himself, trusting his defence and interspersing the knock with a few delectable hits to the fence, on day two he was at his expansive best. The conditions weren’t quite dissimilar from Wednesday as the ball swung and seamed. Karnataka also lost three quick wickets in the morning and was reduced to 278 for eight.
Mayank farmed the strike in expert fashion, and yet did not climb down from the higher gear he had shifted into. In the morning session, he faced 100 balls, but collected 75 runs. There were as many as four beautifully driven boundaries on the off-side, a glorious short-arm pull and a majestic on-drive that he executed even as he walked down the pitch.
Pace and spin were treated with equal disdain. Pacer Prerak Mankad was flat-batted for a six and then deposited over long-off while left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja was sent soaring over the straight boundary. This was vintage Mayank, radiating star quality, but he also oozed responsibility. Of the 129 runs the last two partnerships fetched, he accounted for 113.
The 31-year-old eventually fell attempting a second run that would have given him his 250. But by then, Karnataka was clearly in the ascendency. Tail-ender Vidwath Kaverappa, who had stuck around admirably with Mayank for 42 deliveries, burst back on to the field to come up with a fiery display of his primary skill.
Snell Patel and Vishvarajsinh Jadeja both shouldered arms and saw their off-stump uprooted by balls that jagged back in. V. Koushik, from the other end, bowled seven straight maidens and could have had the seasoned Jackson if R. Samarth had not dropped a sitter at first slip. But at 76 for two, Saurashtra is barely out of the woods.
The scores:
Karnataka - 1st innings: R. Samarth c Kushang b Vishwarajsinh 3, Mayank Agarwal (run out) 249, Devdutt Padikkal c Jackson b Sakariya 9, Nikin Jose c Harvik b Kushang 18, Manish Pandey c Snell b Mankad 7, Shreyas Gopal (run out) 15, Sharath Srinivas lbw b Sakariya 66, K. Gowtham c Mankad b Jani 2, V. Vyshak b Kushang 6, Vidwath Kaverappa b Sakariya 15, V. Koushik (not out) 1.
Extras (b-5, lb-2, w-5, nb-4): 16; Total (in 133.3 overs): 407.
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-21, 3-68, 4-79, 5-112, 6-251, 7-255, 8-278, 9-369.
Saurashtra bowling:
Sakariya 29-8-73-3, Kushang 26-1-109-3, Jani 25-5-63-1, Mankad 23-3-68-1, Dharmendrasinh 20-3-52-0, Bhut 10.3-1-35-0.
Saurashtra - 1st innings: Harvik Desai (batting) 27, Snell Patel b Kaverappa 0, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja b Kaverappa 22, Sheldon Jackson (batting) 27.
Total (for two wkts. in 30 overs): 76.
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-40.
Karnataka bowling:
Kaverappa 11-3-24-2, Koushik 11-7-21-0, Vyshak 7-0-30-0, Gowtham 1-0-1-0.
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