SHIVAMOGGA: Karun Nair, a seasoned campaigner, returned to his home state of Karnataka this season after a successful stint with Vidarbha, where he regained his form and confidence, even earning an Indian Test recall. In a display of his enduring class, Nair once again proved to be the hero, rescuing Karnataka for the second time in as many matches.
During their Ranji Trophy fixture against Goa at the KSCA Navule Stadium on a rain-interrupted Saturday, the 33-year-old crafted a magnificent unbeaten 86 runs off 138 balls, including seven fours and a six. His exceptional knock helped Karnataka reach a respectable 222/5 after 69 overs on the opening day.
Nair’s innings was a masterclass in classic strokeplay and impeccable timing. He anchored Karnataka’s efforts and forged two vital partnerships. First, he added 63 runs with Abhinav Manohar (37), who stepped in for Devdutt Padikkal. Later, he built an unbroken 94-run stand with Shreyas Gopal (48 not out), ensuring Karnataka navigated the final session without losing any further wickets.
Goa captain Snehal Kauthankar made the astute decision to bowl first on a pitch offering significant grass cover. His new-ball attack, spearheaded by Arjun Tendulkar (3/47) and V Koushik (2/24), exploited the conditions effectively. For Koushik, who joined Goa this season, his debut proved bittersweet as he found success against his former Karnataka teammates.
Morning rain caused a one-and-a-half-hour delay, leaving a sluggish outfield. The contest between Koushik and his former colleagues, Nikin Jose and skipper Mayank Agarwal, was fascinating. Agarwal skillfully countered Koushik’s movement off the surface, resulting in a cautious start with only 15 runs scored in the first 12 overs.
Arjun Tendulkar, bowling a tight stump-to-stump line from the other end, delivered the initial breakthrough. Nikin Jose’s attempt to flick a straight delivery resulted in a catch at short-leg. KL Shrijith (0), promoted up the order, soon followed, chasing an outside-off delivery from Arjun back to the pavilion.
Karnataka found themselves in deep trouble at 65/4 in the 27th over after Agarwal poked a Koushik delivery to first slip, and R Smaran was caught fishing at another Koushik delivery. The introduction of spin from Darshan Misal in the 30th over provided some respite, allowing Karun and Abhinav to find their rhythm and exploit gaps. There were no desperate scrambles for runs; instead, the duo calmly attacked loose deliveries. As the wicket eased, Karun even struck a maximum off Misal in the 36th over. However, just before tea, Karnataka lost Abhinav when his well-timed pull shot off Arjun fell short at deep square leg and was taken by Koushik.
Shreyas Gopal then joined Karun Nair, and together they meticulously saw out the remainder of the day, with bad light bringing an early end to the final session by ten minutes.
Karnataka’s bowling strategy for the match leans heavily on pace, with Vidwath Kaverappa, Vyshak Vijay Kumar, Abhilash Shetty, and all-rounder Yashovardhan Parantap forming the fast-bowling unit. Shreyas Gopal is the team’s sole specialist spinner.