Karnataka close in on Ranji final spot, Uttarakhand struggle

Karnataka seized control of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttarakhand, posting a massive first-innings total and putting the opposition under immense pressure with their dominant batting and bowling performance.

Karnataka set one foot in the Ranji Trophy final as they piled a mammoth 700-plus first-innings total and then reduced Uttarakhand to 149 for 5 on Day 3 of the semifinal in Lucknow on Tuesday.

Karnataka, who had closed Day 2 at a commanding 689 for six after batting for two full days, opted not to declare on Day 3, with overnight batters Ravichandran Smaran and Vidyadhar Patil continuing their innings. The team eventually folded at 736, having batted a massive 195 overs in total.

The move seemed designed not only to further demoralise the opposition but also to ensure there was zero chance of losing the contest, maintaining complete control over the game.

Smaran (overnight 121 not out) and Patil (overnight 35 not out) added 28 runs to the overnight total before the former was dismissed for 135. Patil eventually reached a half-century, finishing with 54 off 114 balls. Most of his runs came from singles and twos, with two boundaries and a six to show for his efforts.

The departure of Smaran and Patil soon brought an end to the Karnataka innings, which had been built around a stellar 141 from opener KL Rahul and a commanding 232 from skipper Devdutt Padikkal, setting up their dominant position in the match.

Uttarakhand's Struggle Against Karnataka's Bowling

Faced with the gargantuan first-innings total of the opposition, Uttarakhand were left reeling at 149 for 5, still needing another 587 runs to wipe out the eight-time champions' lead.

Uttarakhand's teenaged right-arm pacer Aditya Rawat claimed four wickets for 154 runs, while veteran spinner Mayank Mishra bagged three scalps for 173. However, their efforts were unable to mask the overall ineffectiveness of the bowling attack, as Karnataka's batters dominated throughout.

Karnataka could likely make Uttarakhand bat again and bowl them out, with two full days still remaining in the contest, giving them ample time to seal a dominant victory.

On the same wicket, Karnataka's bowlers, led by pacer Vidyadhar Patil (2/26), made quick inroads, dismissing openers Bhupen Lalwani (15) and Prashant Chopra (5) to leave Uttarakhand struggling at 37 for 2.

The pressure mounted as the score soon became 81 for 4, before a brief resistance from Lakshya Raichandani (52 not out off 166 balls) and Jagadeesha Suchith (21) added 43 runs for the fifth wicket, taking them to 124.

However, their fightback was cut short when Suchith was clean-bowled by Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna, leaving Uttarakhand in tatters at 124 for 5. However, Lakshya and Saurabh Rawat (10 not out) survived the rest of the day, ensuring Uttarakhand will bat again tomorrow with their hopes still hanging by a thread.

Brief Scores:

Karnataka: 736 (KL Rahul 141, Devdutt Padikkal 232, Karun Nair 60, Ravichandran Smaran 145, Kruthik Krishna 60, Vidyadhar Patil 54; Aditya Rawat 4/154, Mayank Mishra 3/173).

Uttarakhand: 149 for 5 in 69 overs (Lakshya Raichandani 52 not out; Vidyadhar Patil 2/26).