Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Karnataka pacers skittle Punjab for 55, Smaran stars in reply on opening day
Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Karnataka pacers skittle Punjab for 55, Smaran stars in reply on opening day
Karnataka established a firm stranglehold over its Ranji Trophy Elite Group-C encounter against Punjab, skittling out the visitor for a paltry 55 here on Thursday and then finishing at 199 for four at stumps on day one.
R. Smaran’s stroke-filled, unbeaten 83 (100b, 12×4, 1×6) – his first half-century in First Class cricket – was the highlight of Karnataka’s reply. The 21-year-old, who starred in his side’s recent Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph, drove superbly, especially in the arc between third man and cover.
He was equally adept when the bowlers sprayed the ball on his legs, as attested by the clipped four with which he brought up his fifty and his lone maximum off tweaker Jassinder Singh over mid-wicket.
Fellow batters K.V. Aneesh, Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal and K.L. Shrijith all got decent starts, but didn’t capitalise. But so weak was Punjab’s effort that the threat of being buried under a mountain of runs on Friday is genuine.
Earlier, on a nippy winter morning, the host elected to field, and its pacers ensured it was the right move. Under bowler friendly conditions, Punjab was dismissed for the second-lowest total at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Ranji Trophy history after Mumbai’s 44 in February 2015.
Left-arm pacer Abhilash Shetty (3/19) was the first to strike, removing captain Shubman Gill. The India batter, on the lookout for runs and confidence, got neither, as the ball flew off his inside edge while he attempted a drive and wicket-keeper Shrijith completed a fine catch.
In the seventh over, V. Koushik (4/16) struck twice, having Pukhraj Mann caught down the leg-side and disturbing Anmolpreet Singh’s leg-stump with a delivery that came back in. When Prabhsimran Singh edged Abhilash to Aneesh at gully, Punjab was reeling at 14 for four.
Ramandeep Singh hung around for a bit (16, 35b, 2×4) but couldn’t do much as Prasidh Krishna (2/11) and Koushik ran through the middle- and lower-orders to leave Punjab gasping for breath.
