The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Robin, Barrington on a run feast

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 26, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Robin, Barrington on a run feast

By Our Sports Reporter

BANGALORE, NOV. 25. Openers Robin Uthappa (162) and Barrington Rowland (169 n.o.) uncorked a run feast and guided Karnataka to 357 for one against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group `A' match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday.

Madhya Pradesh skipper Amay Khurasiya won the toss and opted to bowl on a wicket expected to aid the seamers and watched in dismay as his decision backfired.

Robin and Barrington shared a 324-run partnership. Robin returned to pavilion attempting a late cut and snicked leg-spinner Yogesh Golwalkar.

Karnataka had stepped into the match under pressure as earlier skipper J. Arun Kumar was axed from the team after a lukewarm show against Bengal and Gujarat and the new man at the helm — Sujith Somasundar — had the onerous task of reviving a team that was low on self-belief. However, pressure seemed a distant speck as 19-year old Robin Uthappa, who stepped into axed skipper Arun Kumar's opening shoes, and Barrington Rowland played with poise against an attack that held no threats.

Robin (162, 252b, 23x4, 1x6) punished seamers Sanjay Pandey and Shantanu Pitrey as well as veteran leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani. Barrington (169 n.o., 265b, 21x4) had his share of luck when on 22 as a slash off Pandey bounced off Amay Khurasiya's palms at slip.

In the post-lunch session, Robin scored his maiden Ranji century, whipping Hirwani past the ropes.

Later he had two reprieves on 116 and on 117 in a Devendra Bundela over as Abbas Ali, at slip, failed to pouch on both occasions.

Robin reached his ninth Ranji hundred in style, sweeping Abbas Ali and Madhya Pradesh had no respite even at tea as Karnataka posted 251 for no loss in 62 overs.After tea, a tiring Robin succumbed but with skipper Somasundar staying firm, Barrington escorted his team to an impregnable first day score.

Robin and Barrington did threaten to erase Karnataka's record opening wicket unbeaten partnership of 451 between Roger Binny (211 n.o.) and Sanjay Desai (218 n.o.) against Kerala at Chikmagalur in 1977, but with Robin's dismissal, the 17-year-old record continued to hold sway.

The scores: Karnataka — Ist innings: Robin Uthappa c Devendra Bundela b Yogesh Golwalkar 162, Barrington Rowland (batting) 169, Sujith Somasundar (batting) 9. Extras (b-1, nb-13, w-3) 17. Total: (for one) 357.

Fall of wicket: 1-324.

Madhya Pradesh bowling: Sanjay Pandey 21-0-94-0, Shantanu Pitre 13-2-50-0, Devendra Bundela 15-2-33-0, Narendra Hirwani 15-1-59-0, Y. Golwalkar 21-1-94-1, Abbas Ali 5-0-26-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport