Ranji Trophy
Instead, they scored at just 3.2 runs an over and lost wickets at regular intervals on a surface where the odd ball kept low. In a game of fine margins, Karnataka have been struggling to get ahead. Tuesday was another case in point. Against a bowling attack that was, at best, ordinary, the hosts had an opportunity to build a substantial lead, with both young batters keen to make a mark and seasoned campaigners at the crease.
At stumps, Karnataka were 297/7, ahead by 103 runs. The arrival of seasoned campaigner Karun Nair (68; 85b, 8×4) injected urgency into the innings, his fluent strokeplay unsettling the bowlers. Dropped on 11 by wicketkeeper Sentu off Bikram Debnath, Karun made the most of the reprieve before Sandip Sarkar (2/83) trapped him leg-before as he played forward. His partnership with Aneesh yielded 105 runs, blending aggression with caution.
MYSURU: Exploiting an opponent’s weakness is par for the course in sport. Karnataka were expected to do just that against Tripura, but have missed a trick or two. After letting the visitors off the hook on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Group B match at the SDNRW Ground here, the hosts failed to make the most of promising starts on Tuesday, leaving themselves with plenty of work to do despite securing their first innings lead of the season.
In normal circumstances, three points from a drawn game could have been acceptable. But, as head coach R Vinay Kumar pointed out, this is a must-win match. With just two points from as many games, Karnataka need a victory to keep their knockout hopes alive.