Bungling Karnataka stare at exit

The two major problems of the season are unravelling in destructive fashion for Karnataka at the most crucial time. While the failure to mop up the tail on the opening day put a spoke in their final hopes, another batting implosion on Sunday has left them staring at a third straight exit from semifinal in the Ranji Trophy.

Top and middle order batsmen perishing to expansive drives when the need of the hour was discipline and patience, and lower order batsmen gift-wrapping the wickets on a platter when some fighting spirit could have helped their cause has ensured Bengal are in the drivers’ seat to seal a final ticket.

Karnataka have been bowled out 12 times this season, dismissed below 300 on eight occasions, breached that mark just four times with the highest total being 426 all out against Madhya Pradesh. Individually, only R Samarth has scored a century with K V Siddharth and Devdutt Padikkal falling in the late 90s. Siddharth (41.37) possesses the highest average with Padikkal (39.13) and Samarth (33.80) being the next best. Skipper Karun Nair averages 27.69 in 9 games and keeper Sharath Srinivas is 28.66 from 5 games.

Such an out-of-sorts batting order, despite the reinforcement of India internationals K L Rahul and Manish Pandey, were going to be sitting ducks against a red-hot Bengal pace attack comprising youngsters Ishan Porel and Akash Deep and seasoned Mukesh Kumar. And Karnataka, already deflated at letting Bengal amass 312 after having reduced them to 67/6, succumbed to the incisiveness of the pace trio to be bowled out for 122 in just 36.2 overs at the Eden Gardens here on Sunday. Bengal, fielding like tigers and latching on to everything that came their way, took stumps at 72/4, a massive lead of 262 runs.

Porel (5/39), the gifted 21-year-old, was the wrecker-in-chief with his two spells on either side of lunch blowing away Karnataka. In his first spell (6-1-16-2), he harried the Karnataka batsmen with pace and swing — in and out as well as late. With Mukesh (2/46) holding the other end tightly despite some wayward deliveries (largely due to excessive swing), Karnataka slumped to 45/3 at lunch.

Porel then upped the ante post lunch, his spell of 7-1-23-3 flattening Karnataka. Bowling full and fast, he kept asking some difficult questions and none of the Karnataka batsmen had any answer to his youthful exuberance and brilliance. Porel also found wonderful partners in Akash and Mukesh, who maintained the pressure from the other end with probing lines and lengths.

The shots from Pandey and Rahul gave an indication on how tough it was out there in the middle. Pandey, bowled while trying to play with a open face to a Mukesh delivery when he should have a presented a straight bat, and Rahul, cutting uppishly while looking the most assured of the Karnataka batsmen, exposed the side’s struggles against quality bowling.

Every time Karnataka have encountered good bowling in reasonably tough conditions, they’ve faltered. They did so on Sunday too; discipline, patience and gumption all missing.

Batting like millionaires when account is low on balance has now resulted in harsh penalties. The sum will likely hit the roof on Monday and if they can’t repay it, they will have to kiss the final dreams goodbye.