Karnataka rout Mumbai to storm into semis
NAGPUR : Karnataka inflicted an innings and 20 runs defeat on Mumbai with more than a day to spare in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final here today to move into the semi-finals in convincing fashion.
Karnataka, who took a huge 397-run first innings lead over Mumbai by scoring a massive 570 after bundling out the latter for a paltry 173, bowled out the 41-time champions for 377 in 114.5 overs in the second innings to complete a comprehensive victory on day four of the fiveday game at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha.
Surya Kumar Yadav made a defiant 108, off 180 balls with 16 fours and one six, before he was run out in the pre-lunch session
to open the doors for eight-time title winners Karnataka to press ahead and complete the rout.
Akash Parkar made 65, in 186 balls laced with 11 fours, besides adding 98 runs for the fourth wicket with Yadav after the two batsmen commenced the day with Mumbai on 120 for three.
Parkar also added 52 runs with Siddhesh Lad for the fifth wicket before being dismissed by off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham.
Captain Vinay Kumar, who bagged a hattrick in his six wicket haul in the first innings, got two crucial wickets – those of crisis man Lad for 31 and rival captain Aditya Tare for a duck before off spinner Gowtham scythed through the lower order to finish with a haul of 6 for 104.
There was some resistance towards the end when debutant Shivam Dube, who bats lefthanded but bowls with his right, clouted four sixes and 7 fours in making a brisk 71 in 91 balls and brought Mumbai close to avoiding the innings loss.
Dube, who also bagged a fivewicket haul in the Karnataka innings and became only the third Mumbai player to take five wickets and hit a half ton on debut, was finally caught at long on off Dube while trying to launch the bowler for his second six in the same over.
He had smacked leg spinner Shreyas Gopal for three other sixes and added 44 runs for the tenth wicket with last man and fellow-debutant Shivam Malhotra (0 in 18 balls) for company before falling to signal an end to his and Mumbai’s fight.
BENGAL ON TOP AFTER WRITTICK DOUBLE TON
JAIPUR: Young right-hander Writtick Chatterjee struck an unbeaten double hundred as Bengal virtually killed the Ranji Trophy quarter-final contest against defending champions Gujarat with a day’s play left now.
After Abhimanyu Easwaran (114, 345 balls) had done the primary job of deflating the Gujarat bowlers on the third day, relatively unknown Chatterjee took the centrestage scoring a careerbest 213 with Bengal making Gujarat bite the dust with a total of 483/4.