On the hop: Kerala opener Rohan went on the offensive regardless of the challenges.
| Photograph Credit score: N. SUDARSHAN
Preventing the climate Gods is like tilting at windmills. Cricket is without doubt one of the greatest examples, the place if the weather resolve to smash a celebration, gamers usually resemble stranded campers on a treacherous mountain. They must bide their time, await the storm to move and possibly chew off a number of nails to let the nervous vitality out.
Karnataka did this within the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C opener away to Madhya Pradesh final week, and returned with a solitary level. After a second expertise on Friday, Mayank Agarwal & Co. will probably be praying that they don’t find yourself with related returns, for that may jeopardise their probabilities of progressing.
Irritating delay
On day certainly one of Karnataka’s match towards Kerala on the Alur Grounds close to right here, play began six hours late as a result of a few moist spots — following incessant and inundating rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a drizzle on Thursday — would refuse to dry out even underneath the blazing solar. It got here onerous on the heels of two worldwide venues in Kanpur and Indore being within the dock for sub-par drainage services.
And as soon as the damp patches caught up with the requirements of the remainder of the bone-dry Alur discipline, it was the flip of the guests to frustrate Karnataka. At stumps, Kerala, requested to bat first, reached 88 for no loss, with Rohan Kunnummal batting positively (57 batting, 74b, 9×4, 1×6) and Vathsal Govind essaying a stellar supporting act (31 batting, 64b, 4×4). Play was referred to as off owing to dangerous gentle with seven overs remaining.
On the assault
Kunnummal drove beautifully within the ‘V’ and likewise breached the fence between level and mid-off a number of occasions. The hoick off left-arm spinner Hardik Raj over long-off was his standout shot. Govind, in distinction to his companion’s hustle and bustle, was sedate. He eschewed expansive stroke-play, and principally clipped off his pads, steered behind sq. and swept cleanly.
Karnataka was left exasperated by the umpires as properly, unmoved because the decision-makers have been throughout two shut shouts for leg-before towards Kunnummal from speedsters V. Koushik and Vidyadhar Patil, Prasidh Krishna’s alternative. If Saturday isn’t higher, the host will probably be on a really slippery slope.
The scores:
Kerala — 1st innings: Vathsal Govind (batting) 31, Rohan Kunnummal (batting) 57; Complete (for no loss in 23 overs): 88.
Karnataka bowling: Koushik 9-4-23-0, Vidyadhar 7-0-27-0, Vyshak 5-0-25-0, Hardik 2-0-13-0.
Toss: Karnataka.
Revealed – October 19, 2024 12:08 am IST
