For Karun Nair, it was a welcome return to form but the skipper was left ruing the lack of application from his teammates as Karnataka turned in a below-par performance on the opening day against Himachal Pradesh.
“There weren’t many demons on this wicket,” said Karun. “We should have batted better. We expected it to be a bit up and down as the match went on but it has already started to play a bit low.
“The first 40-45 overs they bowled very well. [But] we should have stuck at it because after 45 overs, it got really easy. Whenever I was thinking of kicking on I had to hold back [because of wickets at the other end]. We should have had better partnerships.”
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On his own batting, Karun said: “I was batting decently even before. I was just finding ways to get out. Again I found a way to get out. It’s just about eliminating these bits in my game and getting some big scores.”
Asked about the late start to the second day that can deprive his bowlers of the early morning nip, Karun said it was something not in their control. “Maybe it can make a difference. But we can’t complain. It was decided beforehand.”
One bowler who did enjoy the lively conditions on the first day was Kanwar Abhinay, for whom the five-wicket haul signalled a near rebirth. His last First Class match was against Chhattisgarh in November 2017.
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“It is a very special moment,” he said. “The last two years were very difficult because I would be injured for 3-4 months at a stretch. It was mainly my knee and the situation was so bad that I would be in the team but a day before the match would I’ve returned home. So it feels like a comeback.”