Karnataka’s rollercoaster ride in the Ranji Trophy season has all but ended in the quarterfinal stage for the second successive season after hosts Saurashtra put up an authoritative show with the willow on Day 4 to leave the final day’s proceedings a mere formality en route to clinching a last-four tilt against Punjab, says a report in Deccan Chronicle.
“After Karnataka conceded a 73-run innings lead the previous day at the Rajkot University ground, they did entertain feeble hopes of a comeback. But Saurashtra’s lynchpin Cheteshwar Pujara slammed the door on the visitors with a stunning second successive double ton as the home team reached a mammoth 463/3 at stumps to leave the Stuart Binny-led Karnataka disillusioned and running for cover,” says the report, adding that Pujara, often branded among those who are technically accomplished with a penchant for patient and slow accumulation of runs, tore that reputation to shreds with his frenetic double hundred.
“The Saurashtra one-drop batsman came to the crease in the sixth over of the day and remained unbeaten on blistering 261 off just 275 balls with a strike-rate of 94.90 to take the wind out of Karnataka’s sails. The uncharacteristic, hurricane innings from Pujara pushed handy efforts from opener Sandeep Jogiyani and Sheldon Jackson, both scoring 70 runs each, to mere footnotes and also made look Manish Pandey’s 177 the previous day a distant memory if not an insignificant contribution.”
Meanwhile The Times Of India writes that with nothing at stake and the semis spot against Services (starting Jan 16, venue undecided) sealed, Mumbai refused to enforce the follow on, despite having a first innings lead of 374. At stumps on Day 4, the hosts were ahead by 545 with nine wickets intact.
“Hiken Shah, after being dropped by Ketul Patel on 17 and by skipper Yusuf Pathan at slip on 54, was unbeaten on 65 (104 balls, 6x4, 2x6). Giving him company was opener Kaustubh Pawar, batting on 70 (147 balls, 6x4, 2x6). Wasim Jaffer, needing 110 runs to overtake Amol Muzumdar's run tally of 9105 runs, became the second batsman in Ranji history to cross the 9,000-run mark, before falling lbw to Rayudu for 33,” says the report, adding that Wednesday belonged entirely to Rayudu (lucky to survive a dropped catch by Agarkar at mid-wicket off Dabholkar on 33).
“He displayed exemplary technique against spinners. Twinkletoed footwork and a quick eye were his allies as he struck boundaries over extra cover and mid-on against Mumbai left-arm spinners Vishal Dabholkar and Ankeet Chavan. His overnight partner, Pinal Shah's patience ran out 51 minutes into Day 4 as a flashy drive off Dabholkar flew to Hiken Shah at second slip and Shah completed a juggling catch.”
