Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Mayank, Devdutt centuries propel Karnataka in the direction of lead regardless of late wickets

If not for some late-afternoon tardiness, Karnataka would have completed firmly on prime on the finish of day two of its Ranji Trophy match in opposition to Goa at the SDNR Wadiyar Stadium right here on Saturday.

Propelled by positive centuries from Mayank Agarwal and Devdutt Padikkal, Karnataka was coasting alongside at 238 for one, simply 83 runs adrift of Goa’s first-innings whole.

But a rush of blood from Padikkal price him (103, 143b, 13×4), as he charged at off-spinner Mohit Redkar, solely to search out himself in no man’s land and edge a catch to slide. Mayank sliced left-arm spinner Darshan Misal straight to level (114, 179b, 10×4).

At stumps, Karnataka was 253 for 4, 68 runs within the purple. With Manish Pandey nonetheless injured, the host will want Nikin Jose (3 batting), Sharath Srinivas (0 batting) and all-rounder Shubhang Hegde to do the heavy lifting.

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In hindsight, the 93 runs Karnataka allowed Goa so as to add to the in a single day 228 for eight appeared one too many. Tailender Heramb Parab brandished his willow like a stick weapon (53, 81b, 8×4, 1×6) whereas Arjun Tendulkar displayed a very good dose of class (52, 112b, 3×4, 1×6).

Both nonetheless paled compared to Mayank and Padikkal in the course of the Karnataka batters’ 211-run second-wicket stand.

After opener D. Nischal fell early, leg-before to a ball from Misal that stored low, the duo was full of stylish drives, deft nudges and delicate steers. Mayank reached his fifty with a drive previous mid-off, whereas Padikkal obtained there with a square-driven boundary.

The Goa bowlers tried crippling the house batters by bowling brief and a largely leg-stump line. Padikkal, although, swayed to execute an upper-cut, pulled pacer Felix Alemao to maneuver into the 90s and obtained to his fourth First Class hundred with a slapped 4 off Tendulkar and a hard-run double. Mayank obtained his seventeenth with a fierce flat-batted boundary previous Redkar.

Goa appeared set to undergo additional, and be buried beneath a mountain of runs. But a late turnround means it would return on day three nonetheless alive and kicking.