Hubli: Veteran opening batter Mayank Agarwal stood tall amid early turbulence, guiding Karnataka to 144/4 at Tea on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy final after Jammu and Kashmir struck thrice in a devastating post-lunch spell before an unbroken 87-run partnership restored some balance to the contest.
Resuming at 35/1 after lunch in reply to Jammu and Kashmir’s imposing 584, Karnataka suffered immediate setbacks as the visiting seamers capitalised on the helpful surface. Sunil Kumar provided the early breakthrough of the session, removing the in-form Devdutt Padikkal with a delivery that found the edge, tightening Jammu and Kashmir’s grip on proceedings.
Auqib Nabi Dar then turned the match decisively in his side’s favour with a sensational spell that rattled Karnataka’s middle order. Having already dismissed KL Rahul before Lunch, Auqib produced two exceptional deliveries in quick succession to remove Karun Nair and Smaran Ravichandran off consecutive balls, leaving Karnataka reeling at 57/4 at the start of the second session.
His ability to extract late movement and maintain probing channels kept the batters under constant examination, as he finished the session with impressive figures of 3-30.
With Karnataka in danger of complete collapse, Mayank responded with an innings of composure and authority. Initially watchful against the moving ball, he gradually began to assert himself, using his feet effectively to negate the seam and swing and disrupt the bowlers’ rhythm. His approach allowed him to convert a period of survival into steady accumulation, bringing up a resilient half-century under pressure.
Shreyas Gopal provided valuable support at the other end, showing discipline and sound judgement to blunt Jammu and Kashmir’s attack. The pair rotated strike smartly and punished loose deliveries, slowly rebuilding Karnataka’s innings after the dramatic slump.
Mayank’s innings gathered momentum as he grew in confidence, finding boundaries with controlled drives and flicks while maintaining focus against Auqib’s persistent threat. There was a moment of tension late in the session when he was struck on the thigh and survived a review, but he remained unshaken, moving to an assured 86 not out at Tea.
The unbroken 87-run stand between Mayank and Shreyas, who was unbeaten on 25, has provided Karnataka with much-needed stability after the early damage. However, they still trail by a substantial margin and face the immediate challenge of avoiding the follow-on against a disciplined Jammu and Kashmir attack.
Brief Scores: Karnataka 144/4 (Mayank Agarwal 86*, Shreyas Gopal 25*; Auqib Nabi Dar 3-30) trail Jammu & Kashmir 584/10 (Shubham Pundir 121, Yawer Hassan 88, Sahil Lotra 72, Kanhaiya Wadhawan 70, Paras Dogra 70; Prasidh Krishna 5-98) by 440 runs.
(IANS)
