The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Dravid shows his class, match drawn

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Dravid shows his class, match drawn

Special Correspondent

His double century contains 21 fours and five sixes, four of them off Powar

Photo: Vivek Bendre

RISING TO THE OCCASION: Rahul Dravid’s patient 214 helped Karnataka draw its encounter against Mumbai. —

MUMBAI: Rahul Dravid asserted fitness and form with a double century (214, 330 balls, 21 fours, five sixes) spread over two days as Karnataka wrested one point from a drawn Ranji Trophy Super League game against Mumbai.

The home team picked up three points for taking the first innings lead as the four-day tie at the Wankhede Stadium was called off an hour before close on the concluding day.

The visitor declared the second innings at 397 for six, setting the Ranji champion an ambitious 256-target for victory in 32 overs. The Anil Kumble factor forced Mumbai to tread cautiously and ended the day at 70 for two in 17 overs, losing openers Sahil Kukreja and Wasim Jaffer.

Mumbai captain Amol Muzumdar, relieved to have started the title defence on a positive note, noted the value of teammates watching Dravid at the crease.

“Watching him bat is an education,” said Muzumdar, about the manner in which Dravid (overnight 77) set about taking apart the Mumbai bowling. His innings ended when he tried to pull a delivery from debutant Iqbal Abdulla towards long on only for Ajinkya Rahane to take the catch. Dravid’s innings lasted 437 minutes.

Missed chances

He got one life on 191 when Abhishek Nair spilled a catch off his own bowling, and then on 198 when Muzumdar’s throw to the striker’s end missed the stumps.

The education part touched upon by the Mumbai skipper refers to the authority with which he bailed Karnataka out, from a first innings deficit on day two to a second innings declaration on day four. “I batted for Karnataka,” said the double centurion, refusing to link batting form in one first-class innings to other issues.

“The 142-run first innings lead (for Mumbai) was a problem. I thought we batted well in the second innings to set up a declaration.”

Five sixes in a Dravid knock is an unusual development, four against off-spinner Ramesh Powar and one off Abdulla. The India batting stalwart denied that the assault on Powar was a conscious effort, two straight sixes on day three followed by three on day four (two over mid-wicket off Powar and the fifth off Abdulla over long-on).

“The sixes just happened. It is only late in the innings that I tried to play aggressive cricket,” said the former India skipper.

The scores:

Karnataka — 1st innings: 195

Mumbai — 1st innings: 337

Karnataka — 2nd innings: B. Rowland b Rajesh 40, K. Pawan c Samant b Abhishek 80, R. Dravid c Rahane b Iqbal 214, C. Raghu c Samant b Powar 13, Y. Goud c Nair b Iqbal 1, T. Naidu (not out) 34, B. Akhil st. Samant b Iqbal 1, S. Joshi (not out) 0. Extras (b-5, lb-1, w-3, nb-5) 14. Total (for six wkts. in 135 overs) 397 decl.

Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-227, 3-281, 4-290, 5-390, 6-396.

Mumbai bowling: Agarkar 16-3-50-0, Rajesh 18-4-49-1, Abhishek 25-4-84-1, Powar 33-4-122-1, Iqbal 38-11-73-3, Rahane 1-0-1-0, Prashant 4-0-12-0.

Mumbai — 2nd innings: S. Kukreja lbw b Vinay 23, W. Jaffer b Vinay 17, A. Rahane (not out) 22, A. Muzumdar (not out) 4. Extras (w-1, nb-3) 4. Total (for two wkts. in 17 overs) 70.

Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-46.

Karnataka bowling: Vinay Kumar 7-3-20-2, Aiyappa 4-0-25-0, Kumble 6-0-25-0.

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