JOIN USSuper Siraj leaves Karnataka bruised
Cooling their heels for two straight games, Hyderabad were eager to get going ahead of their Ranji Trophy Group ‘A’ match against Karnataka.
Up against a well balanced side, they faced a tough challenge. However, the visitors produced a splendid bowling display to make a mockery of the predictions and bag the opening day honours here at the KSCA Navule Stadium on Tuesday.
Just a day after he received his maiden India call-up, Mohammed Siraj made sure he remained in spotlight with his lethal bowling. The mighty Karnataka batting line-up had no answers to the speedster, who returned with 4/42 in 15 overs. On a surface that had enough help for the batsmen, the Hyderabad pacers made the most of the crucial first hour. Siraj teamed up with Ravi Kiran (3/36) to form a deadly combo as the hosts were shot out for a paltry 183 in two sessions.
Their disappointing show with the bat could have been a total disaster if not for a fighting half-century from Stuart Binny. The all-rounder’s 61 (88b, 8x4) and his 56-run stand with K Gowtham (13) gave the Karnataka bowlers something to fight for.
All was not lost for Karnataka though after they staged a minor comeback with the ball. Hyderabad opener Tanmay Agarwal was run out while attempting a needless third run before K Gowtham, the X-factor in the attack, was in the thick of the action. The off-spinner sent back opener Akshath Reddy (34) and skipper Ambati Rayudu (0) to leave Hyderabad at 51/3 at stumps.
As an intriguing second day beckons, Hyderabad, who trail by 132, will have to showcase sensible approach and not gift wickets as they did on Tuesday. R Vinay Kumar’s men have no option but to stay in the attacking mode to restore balance in the contest.
Siraj trapped opener R Samarth (19) with a yorker to open the doors for Hyderabad in the 11th over. In the same over, Mayank Agarwal (0) saw his off stump rattled after shouldering arms to a ball that moved inwards. Following Siraj’s twin strikes, Kiran bowled Rahul (4) through the gates with a beauty. Karun Nair (23), whose solid technique was hard to breach in the first session, missed an incoming delivery off Kiran to be bowled in the second over post lunch.
Batting appeared easy for Karnataka when the spinners began operating. Binny c ountered the negative approach from leg-spinner Akash Bhandari and struck three boundaries through reverse sweeps. It was Siraj who broke Binny’s resistance to keep Hyderabad in control. The right-hand batsman fell prey to a suspicious lbw decision as the ball looked to have taken an inside edge off the bat.
SCORE BOARD
KARNATAKA (I Innings): R Samarth lbw Siraj 19 (51m, 43b, 3x4), K L Rahul b Kiran 4 (58m, 27b), Mayank Agarwal b Siraj 0 (3m, 2b), Karun Nair b Kiran 23 (103m, 56b, 2x4), C M Gautam lbw Ashish 9 (34m, 24b, 1x4), Stuart Binny lbw Siraj 61 (124m, 88b, 8x4), Shreyas Gopal c Sumanth b Kiran 3 (9m, 9b), K Gowtham c Rayudu b Siraj 13 (49m, 35b, 1x4), Vinay Kumar c Sumanth b Ojha 7 (42m, 21b), Abhimanyu Mithun (not out) 19 (67m, 56b, 2x4), S Arvind b Ojha 9 (33m, 21b, 1x4). Extras (B-3, LB-5, NB-8) 16. Total (all out, in 62.2 overs) 183.
Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Samarth), 2-26 (Agarwal), 3-26 (Rahul), 4-44 (Gautam), 5-84 (Nair), 6-89 (Shreyas), 7-145 (Binny), 8-148 (Gowtham), 9-165 (Vinay).
Bowling: Ravi Kiran 12.5-2-36-3 (nb-2), Mohammed Siraj 15-1-42-4, Mehdi Hasan 9.1-1-15-0 (nb-1), Pragyan Ojha 13.2-2-31-2, Ashish Reddy 4-2-6-1, Akash Bhandari 8-2-45-0 (nb-5)
HYDERABAD (I Innings): Tanmay Agarwal (run out) 1 (12m, 7b), Akshath Reddy c (sub) b Gowtham 13 (75m, 52b, 1x4), Kolla Sumanth (not out) 34 (83m, 57b, 1x6), Ambati Rayudu b Gow tham 0 (6m, 5b), B Sandeep (not out) 2 (13m, 11b). Extras (LB-1) 1. Total (for 3 wkts, 22 overs) 51.
Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Tanmay), 2-48 (Akshath), 3-48 (Ambati Rayudu).
Bowling: R Vinay Kumar 3-0-4-0, Abhimanyu Mithun 4-2-15-0, K Gowtham 7-1-22-2, S Arvind 6-3-3-0, Shreyas Gopal 2-0-6-0. Super Siraj leaves Karnataka bruised