Vijay Hazare Trophy: Koushik, Aneesh star as Karnataka seals knockout spot with win over Saurashtra
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Koushik, Aneesh star as Karnataka seals knockout spot with win over Saurashtra
Opener Harvik Desai’s gallant century went in vain as Saurashtra fell short in its pursuit of Karnataka’s target by 60 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Group C encounter in Ahmedabad on Friday, a result that seals the latter’s qualification to the knockout stages.
The Saurashtra wicketkeeper forged solid partnerships with Jay Gohil and Arpit Vasavada to put his team on track in the 350-run chase, but three quick wickets by V. Koushik, en route to his maiden List A five-wicket haul, tilted the match in favour of the Mayank Agarwal-led side.
Opener Tarang Gohel had given the team the perfect start to the chase with a flurry of drives but was given out caught behind for 33, a decision he was visibly unhappy with.
Harvik and Gohil combined for a 102-run stand where the pair stroked the ball around with ease after the PowerPlay restrictions were lifted, until the latter holed out to long on for 40, off the bowling of Shreyas Gopal.
The target still looked well within reach, especially with Harvik at the crease but an inspired bowling change to bring back Koushik who accounted for Harvik, Vasavada and Vishvaraj Jadeja in a three-over spell saw Karnataka take control.
With each lower-order batter having to go big from the get-go, Shreyas forced quite a few false shots, adding three more wickets to his kitty on the way to sealing the team’s fifth win in the competition.
Earlier, Nikin Jose and Agarwal gave Karnataka a solid start after being put into bat. Jose was the aggressor among the two, lofting left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja down the ground for two boundaries.
But he was prised out while going for a big shot, a pattern that has been constant throughout the tournament. KV Aneesh and Mayank combined for a mammoth stand, taking full toll of the flat deck which had nothing in it for the bowlers.
The duo took on debutant left-arm wrist spinner Krains Fuletra, who faltered in his length early on. Mayank looked on course for a fourth consecutive ton in the tournament but his innings was cut short when he was caught at long-on off Pranav Karia.
Aneesh looked fluent at the crease, wading out the spin overs with ease, looking set for a big knock. But the young batter fell seven short of his hundred, pulling a short ball from skipper Jaydev Unadkat straight to mid-on.
R. Smaran struck a few blows against the spinners before top-edging one to cover. From then on, wickets fell at regular intervals, trying to up the ante.
Abhinav Manohar stuck around till the wee end of the innings, pummeling the bowlers over the ropes while Hardik Raj opened the bat face to collect a couple of boundaries and help the team post a formidable 349 for seven in 50 overs which proved enough.
