Karnataka vs Himachal Pradesh – Karnataka won by 67 runs
Highlights of Karnataka/Himachal Pradesh Ranji Trophy match : 01st to 04th December 2010. Karnataka won by 67 runs
This article is penned by Sri C Keshavamurthy
The match expected to be a cake walk for Karnataka turned out to be the most exciting one with fortunes fluctuating from time to time on either side. Himachal Pradesh who had gone down to Karnataka by an innings margin without semblance of a fight in its first ever encounter against Karnataka at Bangalore in 2007/08, impressed in this match by putting the visitors in an embarrassing situation on more than one occasion. Ultimately the match swung in Karnataka’s favour to secure a place in this season’s quarter final of the national championship. The inexperience of HP in coping up with the pressure excercised by the previous season’s finalists led its downfall. Karnataka have now won three of the four matches played and are sitting pretty on top of the table in Group B of the Super League.
Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest total against Karnataka by posting 218 in the second innings, which bettered the previous totals of 179 and 147 made at Bangalore in 2007/08 and 199 in the first innings at Dharmasala. Likewise Karnataka too recorded its lowest total in making 230 against HP. Karnataka had scored 452/9 d at Bangalore in 2007/08 and then 254 in the first innings at Dharmasala.
Dharmasala became the newest venue for Karnataka in Ranji Trophy – 51st – excluding the venues in Karnataka.
Stuart Binny recorded his first century in Ranji Trophy career in his 21st match and 35th innings. He was playing in his first match of this season. His previous highest score was 66 against Baroda at Vadodara in 2009/10.
Amit Verma posted his third fifty plus score in 2010/11 when he made a match saving 76 in the first innings. This was his sixth 50 plus score including three centuries in 15 RT matches.
Manish Pandey, who was responsible in saving Karnataka from the rout in the second innings, scored 112 after a first ball duck in the first innings. This was his 6th century in 18 matches. Apart from this he has scored seven fifties.
By scoring 0 and 112 against HP, Manish Pandey became the only Karnataka player to accomplish the feat of scoring a duck and a century in the same match on TWO separate occasions. It may be recalled here that Pandey had made 0 and 144 against Mumbai in the Final at Mysore in 2009/10. Incidentally Pandey had fallen for a first ball duck in the first innings against Mumbai also. The only other Karnataka players to have scored a century and a duck in the same match are Carlton Saldanha (0 & 102*) against Goa at Pandjim in 1990/91 and RV Uthappa (131 & 0) against Railways at Bangalore in 2008/09.
Stuart Binny and Manish Pandey became the third and fourth Karnataka players to record a century against HP. Earlier Rahul Dravid (121) and VS Thilak Naidu (105) had scored hundreds at Bangalore in 2007/08.
Sunil Joshi, recorded his 12th duck of his career when he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings. Joshi’s 12 ducks is next only to the joint record held by R Ananth and BS Chandrasekhar – who have both scored 14 ducks in their playing career.
Ganish Satish, the Karnataka skipper, who had never been dismissed for a duck in his previous 13 Ranji Trophy matches, finally achieved this dubious distinction when he was dismissed for a duck in his 14th match.
A Mithun took his first five wicket haul (5 for 82) in 2010/11. This was his fourth five wicket haul in 13 matches apart from one ten wicket haul in the match. His best bowling performance remains at 6 for 71 against Mumbai at Mysore in the Final in 2009/10.
5-82 by Mithun also wiped out the hitherto best bowling performance against HP which was 3-26 recorded by R Vinaykumar at Bangalore in 2007/08.
Mohinderraj Sharma became the second Himachal Pradesh player to take five wickets in an innings (5 for 29) against Karnataka after V Bhatia who had taken 6-129 at Bangalore in 2007/08. This was his fourth five wicket haul in 11 RT matches.
5-29 by Mohinderraj Sharma was also his best bowling performance of his career surpassing the previous best of 5-31 against Gujarat at Surat in 2009/10
9-81 by Mohinderraj Sharma was also his career best bowling performance in a match overtaking the previous best of 7-170 against Orissa at Dharmasala in 2009/10.
Mohinderraj Sharma who took 9-81 in the match, broke the match bowling performance for HP against Karnataka which stood in the name of V Bhatia (6-129) at Bangalore in 2007/08.
MS Bisla, who was hitherto the highest individual scorer for HP (before H Dogra made 45 in the first innings at Dharmasala) continued his record of being the highest individual scorer against Karnataka by making 58. This was his first fifty against Karnataka and his 12th fifty plus score including four centuries in 35 RT matches.
55 by Paras Dogra, skipper of HP, was also his first fifty against Karnataka and his 15th fifty plus score including four centuries in 42 RT matches.
S Aravind, who took 7-93 in the match, bettered the best match bowling performance by a Karnataka player against HP which was 6-58 by R Vinaykumar at Bangalore in 2007/08.
The 155 runs partnership for sixth wicket between Amit Verma and Stuart Binny, who both performed the rescue act after Karnataka was reeling at 5 for 46, is a new record for any wicket against HP by Karnataka. The previous best was 131 for the second wicket between KB Pawan and RS Dravid at Bangalore in 2007/08.
The 107 runs partnership between P Dogra and MS Bisla for sixth wicket in the second innings, which at one time had threatened to take the match away from Karnataka, also happened to be the first century stand for HP against Karnataka.
MS Bisla effected four dismissals in Karnataka’s first innings to become the 28th opposition wicket keeper to effect four or more dismissals in an innings. Earlier, in the match against Haryana in 2010 for 11, NS Saini had become the 23rd wicket keeper to do so. Saini had effected seven dismissals in the match (4/1 plus 2)
RV Uthappa who donned the role of a regular wicket keeper for Karnataka in the absence of the injured CM Gautam, became the 28th wicket keeper for Karnataka. He took 3 catches in the match. Apart from this he has held 48 catches as a fielder in 46 RT matches.
In the last three successive innings, Karnataka’s top order has failed to click a modest score. However, inspite of reeling at 5 for 54 against Orissa at Bangalore, 5 for 46 and 5 for 74 against HP at Dharmasala, Karnataka have won both the matches.
Playing Record after the match against HP at Dharmasala.
Karnataka: Played-361, Won-164, Lost-56, Drawn-141 (incl 8 NR); in 2010/11; Played-4, Won-3, Drawn-1
Himachal Pradesh: Played-138, Won-20, Lost-75, Drawn-43 (incl 3 NR); in 2010/11; Played-4, Lost-1, Drawn-3