Combating the climate gods is like tilting at windmills. Cricket is among the finest examples, the place if the weather determine to destroy a celebration, gamers typically resemble stranded campers on a treacherous mountain. They need to bide their time, look ahead to the storm to cross and possibly chew off just a few nails to let the nervous power out.
Karnataka did this within the Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C opener away to Madhya Pradesh final week, and returned with a solitary level. After a second expertise on Friday, Mayank Agarwal & Co. shall be praying that they don’t find yourself with comparable returns, for that can jeopardise their possibilities of progressing.
On day certainly one of Karnataka’s match towards Kerala on the Alur Grounds close to right here, play began six hours late as a result of a few moist spots — following incessant and inundating rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, and a drizzle on Thursday — would refuse to dry out even beneath the blazing solar. It got here onerous on the heels of two worldwide venues in Kanpur and Indore being within the dock for sub-par drainage services.
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And as soon as the damp patches caught up with the requirements of the remainder of the bone-dry Alur area, it was the flip of the guests to frustrate Karnataka. At stumps, Kerala, requested to bat first, reached 88 for no loss, with Rohan Kunnummal batting positively (57 batting, 74b, 9×4, 1×6) and Vathsal Govind essaying a stellar supporting act (31 batting, 64b, 4×4). Play was known as off owing to unhealthy gentle with seven overs remaining.
Kunnummal drove fantastically within the V. Moreover, he breached the fence between level and mid-off on quite a few events. The hoick off left-arm spinner Hardik Raj over long-off was his standout shot. Govind, in distinction to his associate’s hustle and bustle, was sedate. He eschewed expansive stroke-play, and largely clipped off his pads, steered behind sq. and swept cleanly.
Karnataka was left exasperated by the umpires as nicely, unmoved because the decision-makers have been throughout two shut shouts for leg-before towards Kunnummal from speedsters V. Koushik and Vidyadhar Patil, Prasidh Krishna’s alternative. If Saturday isn’t higher, the host shall be on a really slippery slope.
THE SCORES
Kerala – 1st innings: Vathsal Govind (batting) 31, Rohan Kunnummal (batting) 57.
Complete (for no loss in 23 overs): 88.
Karnataka bowling: Koushik 9-4-23-0, Vidyadhar 7-0-27-0, Vyshak 5-0-25-0, Hardik 2-0-13-0.
Toss: Karnataka.