Ranji Trophy: Karnataka complete the kill despite Gill

Bengaluru: As memories of those halcyon days from Karnataka’s double-treble seasons from a decade ago superimposed themselves on the psyche while seated at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, it became clear that it would be some time - if at all - before the highs of R Vinay Kumar’s teams can be relived.

But, Mayank Agarwal’s refurbished Karnataka side of today seems to have inherited some of that heart. It’s fleeting in expression but it exists.

That, combined with a careful blend of generations and various skillsets, allowed Karnataka to put away Punjab by an innings and 207 runs in their Group C Ranji Trophy tie on Saturday.

Mayank, who spent a signification portion of the second session on the third day in the dressing room (a niggle perhaps), returned to the field with Karnataka needing a single scalp to put an end to the game.

The moment, Shreyas Gopal got an eager Gurnoor Brar to nick a long-hop to Devdutt Padikkal at first slip, Mayank walked towards his celebrating team-mates from long-off with his head looking skywards and his right hand at his heart. The first of his two prayers had been answered, so he showed his gratitude.

Coming into this game, Karnataka were fourth on the table with 12 points and were all but out of contention for a spot in the quarterfinals. Now, they are second on the table with 19 points.

That position is naturally going to change based on how Haryana, Kerala and Bengal fare over the course of Sunday and their last remaining league fixtures next week, but this victory can’t be relegated to memory for the sake of predicting what might happen during their final league game against Haryana from January 30.

If ever Karnataka were on the money in this tournament, it was in this game.

Winning the toss was the bit which needed to go their way and it did. Then medium pacer V Koushik turned it up by simplifying the art of bowling to pick up four wickets in bowling Punjab out for 55.

Then came R Smaran’s moment in the sun, a breathtakingly elegant 203 to carry Karnataka to 475. After reducing Punjab to 24 for 2 at stumps on the second day, Punjab were behind by 396 runs.

Save for skipper Shubman Gill there was no reason to believe that Punjab would come close to the tally, let alone go over it. And so, the third day unfolded with the India vice-captain reiterating his quality with a century from the top drawer, but that couldn’t undo Yashovardhan Parantap’s (3/37) three-wicket burst or Shreyas’ 3/19 as Punjab crumbled to 213 all out in 63.4 overs.

Gill’s 171-ball 102, though, was a thing of beauty, and the generous crowd which gathered at the stadium let him know it. But, their loyalties remained true so when Shreyas Gopal trapped Gill in front of the stumps to incite the umpire’s index finger to prop up, they let out a howl.

Gill knew too, and the emotions which came from that beleaguered setting expressed themselves in a temper tantrum which involved an irate stare-down with the umpire and an angry bat-fling to the heavens.