There were times when the game appeared surreal. Karnataka seemed in control yet the Jammu & Kashmir batters put together a barrage of shots. Truth to tell, Karnataka had sufficient runs — defending 508 — to withstand the pounding.
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Just consider this. In the session before lunch, 200 runs were whipped up in 39.5 overs for the loss of the remaining six J & K wickets.
Karnataka, a victor by 117 runs on day four of this Ranji duel at the IIT-Chemplast ground on Sunday, took home six points.
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The spirited J & K was bowled out for 390, its skipper Ian Dev Singh notching up a pleasing 110 (188b, 15x4, 2x6) of firm strokes and a compact defence; he pierced the off-side field with lovely timing.
Prasidh’s ten-for
For Karnataka, the big guns fired. Prasidh Krishna, bowling with pace and precision, finished with a match haul of 10 wickets, with four in the second innings. And Karun Nair was adjudged man-of-the-match for his batting heroics.
Despite the sun beating down, the pitch did not deteriorate. J&K employed the heavy roller that appeared to settle the surface down. Strangely it stayed that way.
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The J & K batsmen were not complaining. The heavy-hitting Abdul Samad (70, 78b, 6x4, 5x6) — he has an uncomplicated technique — dismissed leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal for sixes over long on and long off.
Big stand
He added 143 for the fifth wicket with the smooth-stroking Ian Dev before top-edging an attempted sweep off off-spinner K. Gowtham. Gowthan dismissed Ian Dev too, with the batter playing back to an off-spinner.
The batting side kept throwing in the punches. Parvez Rasool collected his runs with quiet efficiency (46, 63b, 6x4), sweeping, cutting and driving.
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And the left-handed Abid Mushtaq (43, 35b, 5x4, 3x6) tore into the bowling, pulling Prasidh for the maximum, lofting merrily and unleashing thumping drives.
Prasidh produced the answers with the second new ball. He brought one back to trap Mushtaq leg-before and took a delivery away to have Rasool caught in the cordon. Shreyas scalped four but went for plenty.
Indeed, J & K went down with all guns blazing.
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The scores: Karnataka — 1st innings: 302.
Jammu & Kashmir — 1st innings: 93.
Karnataka — 2nd innings: 298 for three decl.
Jammu & Kashmir — 2nd innings: Qamran Iqbal lbw b Prasidh 4, Jatin Wadhwan c Padikkal b Gopal 15, Fazil Rashid c Pandey b Gopal 65, Shubham Pundir c Samarth b Gopal 9, Ian Dev Singh lbw b Gowtham 110, Abdul Samad c Sharath b Gowtham 70, Parvez Rasool c Padikkal b Prasidh 46, Auqib Nabi c Pandey b Shreyas 4, Abid Mushtaq lbw b Prasidh 43, Mujtaba Yousuf (not out) 4, Umran Malik b Prasidh 8; Extras (b-5, lb-5, w-2) 12; Total (in 98.5 overs): 390.
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-39, 3-57, 4-136, 5-279, 6-294, 7-301, 8-371, 9-382.
Karnataka bowling: Prasidh 20.5-7-59-4, Gowtham 32-3-122-2, Patil 14-4-44-0, Shreyas 32-3-155-4.
Karnataka won by 117 runs.
Points: Karnataka 6; J&K 0.