JOIN USAbhimanyu Mithun's five-wicket haul gave Karnataka the start they needed but they didn't remain in a position of strength for long as Vidarbha knocked out three of their wickets quickly on the opening day.
With the conditions set to aid pacers even on second day, Mithun felt his team's batsmen must play to their strengths. "We need to bat according to our plan and play close to the body. The ball will swing the whole day because of the breeze. It is a good wicket for fast bowlers. Our aim will be to get the first innings lead and attack again with the ball," he said.
Mithun said that one strong partnership will give Karnataka the upper hand. "We must get one good partnership and then we are back in the game again. We must see off the first hour and then a big partnership will be helpful. A 100-run partnership and one 50-run stand can change the situation of the game," he offered.
The 28-year-old was punished for bowling too short from the pavilion end. Change of ends in the second session did the trick for Mithun. Mithun bagged all his five wickets in the session to finish with 5/45. The performance extended Mithun's decent season in which he has so far taken 23 wickets from seven games.
"From the pavilion end, the wind was against me and I was not getting into the rhythm. I didn't bowl really well in the first spell. I spoke to the captain and bowled from the opposite end. I started running well and felt confident. I bowled in the right areas and the key is to not get frustrated when the batsmen get beaten a lot of times. The ball was moving a lot and I made use of the conditions," he said.