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Karnataka's chances brighten

Principal Correspondent

GOOD CATCH: Karnataka's B. Akhil snaps Tamil Nadu's Hemang Badani in the slips. — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Bangalore: After a long wait, Karnataka found its winning edge with some dash and verve. The fourth and final day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group `A' match against Tamil Nadu here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was meandering as the visitor, with some dour batting, baulked the host spinners and delayed the inevitable.

Tamil Nadu even managed to stretch its second innings into 3.2 mandatory overs before being bowled out for 246. And Karnataka requiring 28 in 11 overs for its third triumph this season, blitzed ahead to a 10-wicket victory in 3.5 overs as opener Robin Uthappa's cameo (23 not out) dented Yomahesh's lone over.

The victory gave Karnataka five points inclusive of a bonus point and it should brighten up its chances of gaining a semifinal berth. Karnataka has 15 points after the sixth round and only Baroda, with 17 points, is ahead in Group `A'. Andhra is third with 12 points.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu stayed at the bottom with four points alongside Uttar Pradesh and will now have to avoid the relegation-bogey.

The Karnataka second innings gathered steam in the second over bowled by off-spinner R. Ashwin in which eight runs were scored. At the other end, seamer Ganapathy bowled a tight line. The script however soon unspooled in despair for Tamil Nadu as Yomahesh's lone over, the fourth of the innings, went for 19 runs.

Hard battle

Earlier, resuming at 130 for three and still requiring 89 runs to avoid an innings defeat, Tamil Nadu battled hard with skipper Badrinath (63, 175b, 7x4) and Hemang Badani (59, 214b, 6x4, 2x6) staying firm.

Sunil Joshi however scalped Badrinath. Badani and S. Sharath then steadied the ship and extended the Tamil Nadu innings past lunch. Badani lofted Joshi and Appanna over the ropes, but was largely defensive as Tamil Nadu fought hard to play out time.

Sharath fell to Raghu, edging to Akhil at first slip. Ashwin too succumbed early. Badani, after ensuring that Tamil Nadu did not suffer the ignominy of an innings defeat, attempted to drive Vinay Kumar, who had just taken the new ball, and as the edge flew low, Akhil dived from first slip to his right and plucked a one-handed catch inches off the turf.

With Badani's dismissal, the seventh in the Tamil Nadu innings, hopes of a dramatic hard-earned draw ebbed away.

The scores:

Karnataka — 1st innings: 426.

Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 207.

Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: Anirudha Srikkanth lbw b Vinay 4, M. Vijay c Akhil b Raghu 10, R. Prasanna lbw b Appanna 59, S. Badrinath c Barrington b Joshi 63, Hemang Badani c Akhil b Vinay 59, S. Sharath c Akhil b C. Raghu 19, R. Ashwin lbw b Raghu 2, Yomahesh c Thilak Naidu b Appanna 7, C. Ganapathy c & b Joshi 2, Varun Kumar b Joshi 3, C. Suresh (not out) 4, Extras (b-7, lb-5, nb-2): 14; Total (all out in 130.2 overs): 246.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-22, 3-112, 4-161, 5-212, 6-218, 7-232, 8-235, 9-240.

Karnataka bowling: Vinay Kumar 15-6-28-2, B. Akhil 4-1-6-0, C. Raghu 40-19-51-3, Sunil Joshi 34.2-8-87-3, K.P. Appanna 36-14-61-2, Deepak Chougule 1-0-1-0.

Karnataka — 2nd innings: Barrington Rowland (not out) 1, Robin Uthappa (not out) 23; Extras (nb-4): 4; Total (without loss in 3.5 overs): 28.

Tamil Nadu bowling: C. Ganapathy 2-1-1-0, Ashwin 1-0-8-0, Yomahesh 0.5-0-19-0.

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