Prasidh Krishna lived up to his reputation.
Credit: X
Mumbai: Karnataka could not have asked for a better start to their realistic chance of regaining the Ranji Trophy this season than by bowling out Mumbai for 120 in their first innings in the quarterfinal on Friday.
At close on Day 1, Karnataka were 10 adrift of Mumbai, at 110/2. KL Rahul stroked his way to a 26-ball 28 (6x4) before slamming pacer Mohit Avasthi to cover fielder Tanush Kotian. Even as captain Devdutt Padikkal edged medium-pacer Suryansh Shedge, opener Mayank Agarwal (54 n.o.), was batting unperturbed to keep vigil with Karun Nair (3 n.o.)
On a seamer-friendly MCA-BKC pitch, Karnataka rejoiced when Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur surprisingly chose to bat.
Karnataka’s three-wicket hero Prasidh Krishna said at the end of the day’s play: “Honestly, it was a good toss to lose because we were also tending towards bowling, for sure. But they (the Karnataka think-tank) were discussing about batting first. So not really surprised (at Mumbai choosing to bat).”
And, Karnataka’s three-pronged pace attack of Vidwath Kaverappa, Vidyadhar Patil and Prasidh made the most of the conditions to restrict the home team to 109/7 before leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal polished off the tail with a three-wicket burst, 14 minutes before the scheduled tea.
Kaverappa and Vidyadhar shared the new ball while Prasidh came first change. For the first two hours and a quarter, the trio was nearly unplayable, sticking to a wicket-to-wicket line and beating the outside edge often and even managing to take the edges en route to the waiting hands behind the wicket.
Kaverappa started the Mumbai downslide by catching the edge of Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal with the ball marginally angling away from the left-hander into wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna. Young batting sensation Musheer Khan, after being beaten by a Vidyadhar delivery, edged the next one tamely to first slip Rahul.
A lot depended on Mumbai’s ‘Mr Consistent’ and their highest run-getter, Siddhesh Lad. But, on Friday, he too came a cropper against the probing attack. Before he could settle down, he was tested aplenty, rapped on the pad by Vidyadhar and was not given out while he was given out leg before to Prasidh but DRS saved him as the ball was missing leg stump.
But, Lad was not lucky third time, Kaverappa striking in his second spell, fishing outside off and the edge taken by Smaran at second slip above his head. Lad was Kaverappa’s 100th first-class victim, coming in the bowler’s 28th match. The 26-year-old from Coorg went on to take one more, that of Shardul Thakur just when it seemed the rival captain was repairing the damage in the company of the left-handed opener Akhil Herwadkar.
Herwadkar, 31, and who earlier in the season returned to Mumbai Ranji Trophy squad after a seven-season gap, showed no hurry in scoring after initially struggling against them. He was lucky when on 26, Smaran dropped him at second slip off Prasidh.
Meanwhile, Prasidh, at first change, lived up to his reputation. He generated bounce and picked up three wickets, sending back Suryansh Shedge, caught by Smaran at second slip, and then wicketkeeper Akash Anand and Shams Mulani off successive deliveries. Prasidh’s three wickets came in a sensational spell of 5-2-9-3 post-lunch after continuing from a 4-2-2-0 spell prior to the break.
SCOREBOARD
Mumbai (1st innings): Yashasvi Jaiswal c K Krishna b Vidyadhar 5, A Herwadkar lbw b Shreyas 60, Musheer Khan c Rahul b Kaverappa 1, Siddesh Lad c Smaran b Kaverappa 12, Suryansh Shedge c K Krishna b Prasidh 10, Akash Anand c Agarwal b Prasidh 2, Shams Mulani c Padikkal b Prasidh 0, Shardul Thakur c Shreyas b Kaverappa 16, Tanush Kotian c Rahul b Shreyas 0, Tushar Deshpande c Shetty b Shreyas 0, Mohit Avasthi (not out) 0. Extras (B-1, LB12, W-1) 14. Total (all out, 48.1 overs) 120.
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-12, 3-39, 4-70, 5-78, 6-78, 7-109, 8-115, 9-119.
Karnataka: Vidwat Kaverappa 14-3-38-3, Vidyadhar Patil 14-3-36-1, Prasidh Krishna 14-5-21-3, Shreyas Gopal 4.1-1-4-3, Shikhar Shetty 2-0-8-0.
Karnataka (I Innings): KL Rahul c Kotian b Avasthi 28, Mayank Agarwal (batting) 54, Devdutt Padikkal c Anand b Shedge 17, Karun Nair (batting) 3. Extras (LB-7, NB-1) 8. Total (for 2 wkts, 26 overs) 110
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-88.
Mumbai bowling: Shardul Thakur 4-0-38-0, Mohit Avasthi 9-2-21-1, Tushar Deshpande 5-2-13-0, Suryansh Shedge 4-0-16-1, Shams Mulani 4-0-15-0.
Other quarterfinals: Brief scores: Jammu & Kashmir: 194 all out in 67 overs (Shubham Khajuria 60, Paras Dogra 33, Yudhvir Singh 41; Aryan Pandey 2-27, Kuldeep Sen 6-55, Kumar Kartikeya 3-66) vs Madhya Pradesh: 28/0 in 10 overs.
Andhra: 264/6 in 80 overs (Srikar Bharat 47, Shaik Rasheed 46, Ricky Bhui 83, Nitish Kumar Reddy 33; Mukesh Kumar 3-50, Akash Deep 2-64) vs Bengal.
Jharkhand: 235 all out in 85 overs (Sharandeep Singh 26, Virat Singh 47, Aditya Singh 83; Janmejay Joshi 4-46, Aditya Rawat 3-39, Mayank Mishra 3-50) vs Uttarakhand: 4/0 in 1 over.
Cut-off box - SCOREBOARD Mumbai (1st innings): Yashasvi Jaiswal c K Krishna b Vidyadhar 5 A Herwadkar lbw b Shreyas 60 Musheer Khan c Rahul b Kaverappa 1 Siddesh Lad c Smaran b Kaverappa 12 Suryansh Shedge c K Krishna b Prasidh 10 Akash Anand c Agarwal b Prasidh 2 Shams Mulani c Padikkal b Prasidh 0 Shardul Thakur c Shreyas b Kaverappa 16 Tanush Kotian c Rahul b Shreyas 0 Tushar Deshpande c Shetty b Shreyas 0 Mohit Avasthi (not out) 0. Extras (B-1 LB12 W-1) 14. Total (all out 48.1 overs) 120. Fall of wickets: 1-9 2-12 3-39 4-70 5-78 6-78 7-109 8-115 9-119. Karnataka: Vidwat Kaverappa 14-3-38-3 Vidyadhar Patil 14-3-36-1 Prasidh Krishna 14-5-21-3 Shreyas Gopal 4.1-1-4-3 Shikhar Shetty 2-0-8-0. Karnataka (I Innings): KL Rahul c Kotian b Avasthi 28 Mayank Agarwal (batting) 54 Devdutt Padikkal c Anand b Shedge 17 Karun Nair (batting) 3. Extras (LB-7 NB-1) 8. Total (for 2 wkts 26 overs) 110 Fall of wickets: 1-50 2-88. Mumbai bowling: Shardul Thakur 4-0-38-0 Mohit Avasthi 9-2-21-1 Tushar Deshpande 5-2-13-0 Suryansh Shedge 4-0-16-1 Shams Mulani 4-0-15-0. Other quarterfinals: Brief scores: Jammu & Kashmir: 194 all out in 67 overs (Shubham Khajuria 60 Paras Dogra 33 Yudhvir Singh 41; Aryan Pandey 2-27 Kuldeep Sen 6-55 Kumar Kartikeya 3-66) vs Madhya Pradesh: 28/0 in 10 overs. Andhra: 264/6 in 80 overs (Srikar Bharat 47 Shaik Rasheed 46 Ricky Bhui 83 Nitish Kumar Reddy 33; Mukesh Kumar 3-50 Akash Deep 2-64) vs Bengal. Jharkhand: 235 all out in 85 overs (Sharandeep Singh 26 Virat Singh 47 Aditya Singh 83; Janmejay Joshi 4-46 Aditya Rawat 3-39 Mayank Mishra 3-50) vs Uttarakhand: 4/0 in 1 over.