Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023-24: Krishna, Kunnummal tons information Kerala previous Maharashtra, into quarterfinals

Kerala survived an early onslaught by Maharashtra’s openers to notch up a 153-run win whereas defending 383 to ebook a quarterfinal date with Rajasthan within the Vijay Hazare Trophy on the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium right here on Saturday.

Om Bhosale and Kaushal Tambe gave Kerala a mighty scare with a brisk 139-run stand earlier than the mountain of runs proved an excessive amount of for final season’s finalist.

Left-hander Bhosale was the aggressor as he met the problem of a document chase with ice-cool temperament – pulling, dabbing, flicking and whipping with a powerful bottom-hand.

However, quickly after Tambe was run out, Bhosale misplaced his form making an attempt to tackle veteran Shreyas Gopal and fell within the following over. Kedar Jadhav’s promise of a skilful first-ball steer to the third-man boundary was short-lived as he edged behind off Basil Thampi.

Vaisakh Chandran (second from proper) was one of many key bowlers for Kerala, taking three wickets for 39 runs, serving to his crew into the quarters.
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Soneji / The Hindu

Gopal and Vaisakh Chandran picked seven wickets between them, and that proved to be one of many variations between the 2 sides.

Earlier, Kerala’s openers performed and missed, and the fielders’ chirpiness drowned the occasional sound of bat-on-ball. Lanky pacer Pradeep Dadhe’s outswingers on probing lengths saved the slip cordon busy.

But the conducive situations for swing bowling additionally meant that the pacers overpitched, and Krishna Prasad and Rohan Kunnummal duly capitalised within the fifth over.

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The opening duo greeted first-change bowler Ramakrishna Ghosh with three fours within the sixth over as width and size have been on supply. With 48 within the first PowerPlay with out the lack of a wicket, Kerala had neutralised Maharashtra’s toss benefit.

Krishna and Kunnummal reached their fifties off 52 and 63 balls, respectively, and showcased menacing ease towards left-arm spinners Sohan Jamale and Azim Kazi. The flat deck allowed them to step out with abandon to loft the ball inside out over covers and down the bottom. By the top of twenty-two overs, 83 per cent of Kerala’s runs and 16 of its 17 fours had been scored on the off-side.

Kunnummal’s in any other case lazy class gave method to sure-footed belligerence towards spin. He moved from 91 to 99 with two fours within the ‘V’ by utilizing his toes towards spin and introduced his fourth List A ton off 83 balls, outscoring his associate with seamless acceleration.

The 216-run opening alliance was reduce brief by Kunnummal’s tame flick to mid-on earlier than Krishna introduced up his maiden List A century, off 114 balls. He switched gears and laid into Kazi and Jamale with three sixes down the bottom that may have made any Indian Premier League (IPL) scouts doing their rounds sit up.

Though he and Sanju Samson, who was undone by one which saved low, fell in consecutive overs, Vishnu Vinod and Abdul Bazith’s cameos, laced with modern stroke-play and one-handed daredevilry, have been sufficient to take Kerala to its highest List A complete.