On the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group-B match at the KCA Stadium in Mangalapuram, a somewhat cautious Kerala squad, possibly making a tactical error with their spin options, inadvertently handed a significant advantage to Karnataka.
By the close of play on Saturday, Karnataka had amassed an imposing 319 for three wickets. The highlight of the day was Karun Nair’s superb 26th First Class century, an unbeaten 142. This marks his second consecutive hundred against Kerala. Further compounding Kerala’s challenges, Nair and R. Smaran (88 not out) built an impressive, unbroken 183-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
The conditions – a placid pitch and an opposition bowling attack that quickly lost its early sting – created the perfect scenario for Karun Nair to settle in and construct a substantial score. While M.D. Nidheesh and N.P. Basil initially troubled Karnataka, dismissing openers Mayank Agarwal (5) and K.V. Aneesh (8) cheaply and leaving the team at a precarious 13 for two, the early jitters were soon overcome.
Karun Nair then joined Krishnan Shrijith in the middle, and together they orchestrated a remarkable turnaround. The two batsmen employed contrasting yet highly effective approaches to counter the Kerala attack. Nair started with some audacious strokes, frequently paddle-sweeping and reverse-sweeping the spinners for boundaries, while Shrijith opted for more traditional, confident shots, reaching his fifty before lunch. Their crucial 123-run stand was eventually broken when Shrijith top-edged a sweep off B. Aparajith and was caught at square-leg by Ahammed Imran.
After the lunch interval, Karun Nair found even greater rhythm against the spinners, displaying his extensive repertoire of strokes. He elegantly drove Aparajith through the covers for a boundary and then effortlessly lofted him over long-on for a six, accelerating the scoring. Smaran, joining the fray, hit his first boundary through the covers off Harikrishnan, further solidifying their flourishing partnership.
Nair continued his dominant display, hitting Basil for two consecutive boundaries to move into the nineties, and shortly thereafter, celebrated his magnificent century. A late cut off Aparajith then comfortably took Karnataka past the 300-run mark.
The day had started with setbacks for Kerala, as Ankit Sharma was forced to withdraw due to a side strain, and Rohan Kunnummal’s illness necessitated changes to the playing XI. The inexperience of Vaisakh Chandran was noticeable as Karnataka’s batsmen ruthlessly exploited the vulnerabilities in the Kerala bowling attack throughout the day.
Match Summary:
Karnataka — 1st Innings: K.V. Aneesh c Azharuddeen b Basil 8, Mayank Agarwal c Azharuddeen b Nidheesh 5, K.L. Shrijith c Imran b Aparajith 65, Karun Nair (batting) 142, R. Smaran (batting) 88. Extras (b-4, lb-5, nb-2): 11; Total (for three wickets in 90 overs): 319.
Fall of Wickets: 1-11, 2-13, 3-136.
Kerala Bowling: Nidheesh 16-4-41-1, Vaisakh 10-0-42-0, Basil 16-2-58-1, Harikrishnan 14-0-69-0, Aparajith 23-2-65-1, Akshay 11-0-35-0.
Toss: Karnataka.