Ranji Trophy: K L Rahul slams ton as Karnataka tame Mumbai

Karnataka are now just two wins away from clinching their ninth Ranji Trophy title.

Mumbai: In only the second match with Devdutt Padikkal as captain, Karnataka registered a convincing four-wicket win with a day to spare against Mumbai at the MCA-BKC ground here, setting up a semifinal showdown against Uttarakhand in Dehradun from February 15.

The architect of Karnataka’s win, which was accomplished with its share of drama on the fourth day on Monday, was the Test opener KL Rahul. He shouldered the responsibility of seeing Karnataka through with a stroke-filled 130 (182b, 14x4, 1x6). He found a perfect ally in the left-handed Ravichandran Smaran (83 not out, 123b, 11x4).

Smaran dealt in boundaries, pulling and driving attractively, and rarely did he play a false stroke. The 22-year-old Smaran kept his eyes on the ball, was solid in defence and did not spare the short deliveries, pulling effectively and driving handsomely on the off-side.

Smaran's flurry of boundaries early in his stay eased the pressure on Rahul as the duo raised 147 for the fourth wicket in only 159 deliveries.

Karnataka achieved victory, but not without the match going through its ebbs and flows. Resuming at the overnight 113/2, needing 212 more to win, Karnataka lost the unsettled Karun Nair leg before to medium-pacer Shardul Thakur in the day’s second over.

The onus was on the fourth-wicket pair of Rahul and Smaran, as those who followed were the inexperienced wicketkeeper Kruthik Krishna and the bowling all-rounders. Mumbai attacked through their medium-pacers Thakur and Tushar Deshpande after Mohit Avasthi proved ineffective, going for 18 runs in two overs. Thakur and Deshpande bowled a wicket-to-wicket line initially, but Rahul and Smaran were equally effective.

Thakur and Deshpande also employed the short-ball weapon, but that did not unsettle the right-left duo. Rahul had luck on his side when he edged Thakur behind, where first slip Yashasvi Jaiswal was waiting to catch it. But, to Jaiswal’s disbelief, Siddhesh Lad from second slip thrust his left hand in front of Jaiswal, dropping Rahul on 75. He went on to score his 24th first-class century, and eighth for Karnataka.

While it was expected that Karnataka would win comfortably post lunch, at which stage they needed 60 more with seven wickets in hand. They faced tense moments when they lost three wickets in the space of 7.2 overs, starting with Rahul off the third delivery on resumption.

Employing a barrage of short deliveries as their last attempt at Karnataka, Deshpande removed Rahul, attempting a one-handed hook and ending up in the hands of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who stretched to take a fine catch, at short third man.  

Shreyas Gopal, too, was a victim of the bouncer, nicking Deshpande behind, while Kruthik Krishna stretched so much forward to defend off-spinner Tanush Kotian that he couldn't drag his back foot in time and was stumped by Akash Anand.

However, Anand was guilty of missing another stumping chance when Smaran was on 58 and Lad another chance, this time of Vidyadhar at long-off.

Even as Smaran shouldered the responsibility after Rahul’s dismissal, Vidyadhar (31 not out, 30b, 3x4, 1x6) batted hurriedly, his sweep off Shams Mulani sealing the game for the visitors half-an-hour before the tea interval.

R Smaran (right) embraces Vidyadhar Patil who scored the winning runs.    

SCOREBOARD MUMBAI (I innings): 120 KARNATAKA (I innings): 173 MUMBAI (II innings): 377 KARNATAKA (II innings O/n: 113/2): Mayank Agarwal c Avasthi b Thakur 3 KL Rahul c Jaiswal b Deshpande 130 Devdutt Padikkal c Jaiswal b Kotian 39 Karun Nair lbw b Thakur 13 Ravichandran Smaran (not out) 83 Shreyas Gopal c Anand b Deshpande 1 Kruthik Krishna st Anand b Kotian 2 Vidyadhar Patil (not out) 31. Extras (B-15 LB-3 W-1 NB-4) 23. Total (for 6 wkts 73.4 overs) 325. Fall of wickets: 1-12 2-96 3-119 4-266 5-268 6-285. Bowling: Shardul Thakur 10-1-55-2 Mohit Avasthi 7-0-36-0 Shams Mulani 14.4-0-64-0 Tushar Deshpande 18-2-67-2 Tanush Kotian 21-2-77-2 Musheer Khan 3-0-8-0. Result: Karnataka won by 4 wkts; Next match (semifinal): vs Uttarakhand (From 15-19 Dehradun)