Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023-24: Padikkal scores century as Karnataka beats Uttarakhand by 52 runs

Karnataka rode on Devdutt Padikkal’s century (117, 122b, 13×4, 5×6) to navigate an early trough and beat Uttarakhand by 52 runs within the Group C Vijay Hazare Trophy match on the Narendra Modi Stadium right here on Saturday.

After placing Karnataka in to bat, Uttarakhand’s pace-duo of Rajan Kumar and Deepak Dhapola made merry with the brand new ball, sticking to the probing fourth-stump line.

Mayank Agarwal was the primary to depart, on the second ball of the innings, fending outdoors off to gap out at first slip.

While Padikkal acquired off the blocks with two boundaries off Kumar, one every by means of level and mid-wicket, he was pressured to retreat in opposition to lateral motion. R Samarth’s torrid time within the center noticed the same finish as Agarwal’s when he poked within the fourth stump channel and supplied a catch to Aditya Tare behind the stumps.

Padikkal drew from his share of fortune too when his slash off Rajan within the 18th over evaded the grasp of the primary slip. The southpaw’s incursion began in opposition to the left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh and right-arm leg break Himanshu Bisht, each providing a beneficial match-up for him.

Padikkal slog-swept Swapnil for 4 earlier than stepping out and lofting over mid-wicket for six within the thirtieth over. In the thirty fifth, Padikkal crossed the three-figure mark with a step-out hoick over lengthy off. S. J. Nikin Jose picked his moments to press and performed the proper second fiddle as he acquired to a fifty in 66 balls.

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It was the insistence on preserving the tempo which noticed Padikkal paddle scoop a size supply to quick nice leg. But the 131-run affiliation for the third wicket served properly for Manish Pandey who waltzed to a 40-ball 56 to get Karnataka to 284 for seven.

Uttarakhand’s response stuttered from the outset with Avneesh Sudha providing a feather to the keeper off V Koushik within the second over. The solely color within the in any other case drab PowerPlay 1 was Yuvraj’s Choudhary six in opposition to Vyshak Vijaykumar within the tenth over.

But Vyshak had the final snort within the subsequent over, when his size supply caught within the pitch and caught Choudhary’s vanguard, leaving Uttarakhand two down at 39 within the twelfth over.

The 48 runs added between Jiwanjot Singh and Dikshanshu Negi for the third wicket introduced momentary hope. But the urgency to maintain up with the asking price acquired the latter to gap out at deep cowl within the twenty second over. Jiwanjot fell 4 wanting a well-deserved fifty when he sliced J. Suchith to level within the subsequent over.

Aditya Tare and Swapnil Singh acquired collectively for 30 runs however by no means threatened to take the sport away. When the tail gave the impression to be caving in at 157 for eight, Rajan and Kunal Chandela added 71 runs for the ninth wicket, making certain their aspect salvaged delight by enjoying out the 50 overs.