Ranji Trophy | Karnataka hoping for a miracle after the debacle

A backs-to-the-wall Karnataka lived to fight another day against a red-hot Bengal pace attack but the battle to make the Ranji Trophy final still appears Herculean following an exciting Monday.

Having struggled as a batting unit for the majority of the first-class season, Karnataka were handed the arduous task of chasing 352 for an improbable win here at the Eden Gardens. The target was 87 runs more than their highest successful chase — 265/5 against Andhra in 2005 — and considering the highest total Bengal have conceded this Ranji Trophy season has been 250 against Odisha, it looked a lost cause.

Karnataka, aware of the mighty challenge ahead of them, went into a long huddle right after bowling out Bengal for 161 in 54.4 overs a little after lunch. Skipper Karun Nair was giving a pep talk. Those encouraging words seemed to have worked on Devdutt Padikkal as the teenager scored an unbeaten 50 (109b, 193m, 6x4), carrying Karnataka to 98/3 at stumps on day three.

Still a huge 254 runs adrift of the finish line on a pitch where something is happening all the time, batsmen can’t afford to drop their guard. Karnataka will be banking on Padikkal and partner Manish Pandey (11 batting).

Padikkal walked in the third ball of Karnataka’s innings after star player KL Rahul was adjudged LBW while shouldering arms to an in-swinger from the impressive Ishan Porel. The Bengal team were pumped and jitters were high in the Karnataka camp, who had imploded to 122 all out in the first innings.

Padikkal and R Samarth (27, 69b, 2x4), though, calmed the nerves down with a dogged 57-run stand for the second wicket. The duo, out for single-digit scores in the first innings, batted with great caution and discipline as Porel, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep tested them with another accurate exhibition of fast bowling.

The trio kept landing it the channel of uncertainty consistently but Padikkal and Samarth were game for the challenge. They looked assured of their off stump, watched and left the balls well and played confidently off the front foot. The Bengal pacers even sent some short ones, Samarth and Padikkal calmly letting it sail into the keeper’s gloves.

Just as the partnership began to flourish, Samarth departed again the run of the play, an Akash Deep ball swinging late and trapping him in front of stumps. Skipper Nair, who has been battling poor form from last season, joined Samarth in the dressing room after poorly judging just how much Mukesh was bringing the ball in on the day. He departed for 6, and his season tally is at a poor 366 from 9 matches (Avg 26.14). More importantly, Karnataka were in deep trouble at 76/3.

Padikkal and Pandey saw off the final hour without further damage. There were a few close appeals but they slugged it. A lot will be expected from the duo on the fourth day if Karnataka aim to script one of the most sensational turnarounds in Ranji Trophy history.

Mornings are generally tough to bat at the Eden Gardens with overnight moisture and balmy conditions making it a bowlers’ paradise. They would need to survive that and plenty more to pull off a great escape while Bengal will be determined to pop the champagne as early as possible.