Ranji Trophy: Small but important contributions: Karnataka coach Yere Goud

After fighting bad weather and a spirited Jammu & Kashmir unit, Karnataka booked their third straight Ranji Trophy semifinal berth. Ahead of the clash against Bengal in Kolkata from February 29, Karnataka coach felt the wobbly top-order is a concern.

Karnataka, expected to dominate a lower profile side like J&K, nearly conceded an innings lead after managing a below-par 206 in their first innings here at the Gandhi Memorial Science College ground. It’s the terrific fightback from their bowlers that put Karnataka on top and the eight-time champions consolidated the position to register a huge win.

“I think in terms of batting, we need big scores from the top five. That’s the area we are concentrating on. We have batsmen who are getting the 70s and 80s in the last three to four games. That’s a good sign,” Karnataka coach Yere Goud told reporters here on Monday.

Karun Nair has marshalled his troops well under pressure. Nair has kept a calm head and taken important decisions in several close games. But with just three half-centuries in the season so far, the 27-year-old’s batting has left a lot to be desired. Goud dismissed any fears about Nair’s form.

“Look he is big-match player. For examples two seasons ago, in the semifinal against Vidarbha, he made a vital century. So we are confident he will deliver in big games,” he said.

Goud said small yet useful contributions at crucial junctures have helped Karnataka prevail in tough scenarios. “To be honest, all nine games have been very close. Yet, we topped the Group B. For instance, against Saurashtra, the half-centuries from Devdutt Padikkal and R Samarth in the second innings mattered a lot as not only did we get one point but we made sure Saurashtra didn’t get six points. It made a difference on how the points table stood at the end of group stage.”