Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Smaran double century puts Karnataka in driving seat against Punjab on Day 2

Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Smaran double century puts Karnataka in driving seat against Punjab on Day 2

Not many would have rushed up to R. Smaran on the street even a month ago for a meet and greet. But in the span of a month, the 21-year-old Karnataka batter has really made heads turn.

On Friday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium against Punjab, the southpaw followed up his hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final with a scintillating double century (203, 277b, 25×4, 3×6) – his first score in excess of 50 in First Class cricket – to put Karnataka firmly ahead in the must-win Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C contest.

From an overnight 199 for four, Karnataka finished on 475, securing a massive 420-run first-innings lead. At stumps on day two, the visitor was 24 for two, staring down the barrel despite its skipper and India star Shubman Gill still occupying the crease (7 batting, 36b, 1×4).

Smaran began the day on 83, and though he started with a neat clipped four off Sanvir Singh to the square-leg fence, he endured a few nervous moments in the nineties. He moved from 91 to 99 via two edged boundaries between the slip and gully fielders and reached the three-figure mark with a streaky six over mid-off.

However, he soon settled into a fantastic rhythm and, as the sun beat down, sent the Punjab fielders on a leather hunt. With Abhinav Manohar, he put on 86 runs for the fifth wicket, and with Shreyas Gopal, he added 75 runs. Sukhdeep Bajwa made matters worse for Punjab by dropping him at cover on 141, and he reached his 150 with a sweetly driven four.

Gill then tried to set a leg-side trap with as many as four fielders behind square. But the copybook hook off pacer Gurnoor Brar to move from 195 to 199 showed Smaran was up to the task. He soon brought up his double ton with a nudged single.

Off-break bowler Jassinder Singh eventually sent Smaran back, breaching his defence with a skiddy delivery. But in all probability, it will remain a small consolation prize.