The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Kulkarni helps Mumbai take lead

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 24, 2004

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Kulkarni helps Mumbai take lead

By Our special Correspondent

MUMBAI, DEC. 23. Commencing Karnataka's attack with the new ball left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi scalped Mumbai opener Wasim Jaffer. Easily Mumbai's best batsman this season with well over 400 runs, Jaffer flopped in both the innings, snapped up at silly point a few minutes from stumps on the second day of the Elite Group `A' Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium.

Jaffer's tentative jab just about reflected the day's proceedings when the Karnataka batsmen perished to the home team's spinners, who shared the spoils taking all 10 wickets.

Karnataka was shot out for 166, giving Mumbai a 126-run lead. Left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni, enjoying a great season, took his third five-wicket haul. He was well supported by his captain and leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and off spinner Ramesh Powar.

Eventful day

On an eventful second day, when Mumbai's first innings itself came to an end in about 19 minutes, Karnataka, after an 82-run start given by Robin Uthappa and Barrington Rowland, lost its way.

Earlier Kulkarni chanced his arm against Santosh Vadeyaraj, but holed out to Thilak Naidu. Usman Malvi followed thumping the ball straight to Vinay Kumar at mid-off.

Initially Mumbai's new ball attack did not give Uthappa and Rowland any leeway. In fact, Uthappa, on one, was given a reprieve by Nishit Shetty at square leg off Wilkin Mota.

Even after this, Uthappa fished outside the off stump several times before stepping out and clouting Powar for a six. Rowland played a few risky shots, and appeared to be in a hurry.

Karnataka's opening pair took lunch at 77. After the break, the Mumbai spinners took charge on a pitch that was not as unpredictable as it was on Wednesday. Apart from taking five wickets Kulkarni was also responsible for the openers' downfall. The catch he took to dismiss Rowland was a sitter at mid-wicket, the second one of Uthappa was spectacular as he bent low to convert a catch at cover.

The scores:

Mumbai — 1st innings: V. Mane c Naidu b Joshi 67, W. Jaffer c Uthappa b Vinay Kumar 7, V. Indulkar b Vinay Kumar 47, A. Muzumdar c Vadeyaraj b Joshi 18, Nishit Shetty c Naidu b Raghu 65, S. Bahutule c Ganesh b Joshi 27, W. Mota c Naidu b Joshi 3, R. Powar c Ganesh b Joshi 5, V. Samant (not out) 33, N. Kulkarni c Naidu b Joshi 3, U. Malvi c Vinay Kumar b Vadeyaraj 0; Extras (b-4, lb-4, nb-9): 17 Total (in 94.3 overs): 292.

Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-129, 3-129, 4-173, 5-236, 6-244, 7-254, 8-260, 9-289.

Karnataka bowling: Ganesh 11-0-29-0, Vinay Kumar 16-2-55-2, Uthappa 5-2-13-0, Joshi 35-7-102-6, Vadeyaraj 12.3-0-47-1, Raghu 15-1-38-1.

Karnataka — 1st innings: R. Uthappa c Kulkarni b Bahutule 39, B. Rowland c Kulkarni 43, S. Somasundar c Mane b Powar 24, T. Naidu c Samant b Kulkarni 12, S. Shinde c Jaffer b Kulkarni 4, D. Chougule c Mane b Powar 17, S. Joshi c Indulkar b Powar 0, C. Raghu c Jaffer b Kulkarni 6, D. Ganesh c Samant b Kulkarni 6, Vinay Kumar c Bahutule b Kulkarni 1, S. Vadeyaraj (not out) 10; Extras (b-2, lb-1, nb-1): 4. Total (in 83.2 overs) 166.

Fall of wickets: 1-82, 2-84, 3-116, 4-126, 5-126, 6-127, 7-149, 8-149, 9-150.

Mumbai bowling: Malvi 5-2-4-0, Mota 9-2-23-0, Powar 26-9-70-4, Bahutule 21-10-27-1, Kulkarni 22.2-8-39-5.

Mumbai — 2nd innings: V. Mane (batting) 2, W. Jaffer c Rowland b Joshi 0, N. Kulkarni (batting) 0. Total (for 1 wkt. in 3 overs): 2.

Karnataka bowling: Joshi 2-1-1-1, Vadeyaraj 1-0-1-0.

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

Sport