The Hindu : Karnataka wrests initiative

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Thursday, Mar 06, 2003

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Sport - Cricket

Karnataka wrests initiative

By Our Sports Reporter

Sudhindra Shinde of Karnataka pulls Kerala's Ananthapadmanabhan (not in picture) while wicketkeeper Mausam Nathani watches, in the Ranji Trophy Plate Division final in Bangalore on Wednesday. Shinde scored 84 on his debut.

BANGALORE March 5. Debutant Sudhindra Shinde's good knock (84, 136b, 12x4, 1x6) helped Karnataka wrest a 103-run lead over Kerala on the second day of the Ranji Trophy Plate Division final at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. At close, the host posted 293 for five after captain J. Arun Kumar (84) and Shinde (84) kept the scoreboard busy.

The 22-year old Shinde suffered no nerves and used his feet against the spinners besides rocking back to cut them past point. The Kerala skipper Sunil Oasis did pack the offside but Shinde often got his angles correct. A cover drive off seamer Sreesanth that left the fielders at cover, extra-cover and sweeper cover stranded hinted at Shinde's supreme touch on a day when a proven campaigner like Vijay Bharadwaj failed to get his momentum.

Vijay plodded on for 133 deliveries mustering 36 before playing all over leg spinner Ananthapadmanabhan's faster one. A century on debut seemed a strong possibility for Shinde until he picked the wrong bowler for the charge and edged Ananthapadmanabhan straight into Sunil Oasis's hands at first slip.

Earlier, resuming at the overnight 31 for no loss, Karnataka openers J. Arun Kumar and Barrington Rowland braved the first session while left-arm seamer Grandbell angled across their tentative bats. The openers had a 99-run partnership but Barrington (22) remained circumspect and perished while attempting to break free against Ananthapadmanabhan.

Skipper Arun Kumar (84, 174B, 12x4) employed the drive to good effect besides using the sweep to unsettle left-arm spinners Suresh Kumar and Sreekumar Nair. Arun however left fuming as he chipped Ananthapadmanabhan straight to Sreekumar at long-on. However Shinde held the middle order together and after his dismissal, Thilak Naidu (35 n.o.) stretched the lead past the 100-run mark.

Ananthapadmanabhan (four for 98) was the lone success story amidst the Kerala bowlers and he was also aided by the batsmen's desire to hasten the run-rate.

The scores:

Kerala — Ist innings: 190.

Karnataka — Ist innings: J. Arun Kumar c Sreekumar b Ananthapadmanabhan 84, Barrington Rowland c Sujith Somasundar b Ananthapadmanabhan 22, Sudhindra Shinde c Sunil Oasis b Ananthapadmanabhan 84, Vijay Bharadwaj b Ananthapadmanabhan 36, Thilak Naidu (batting) 35, Deepak Chougule lbw b Suresh Kumar 13, Sunil Joshi (batting) 0. Extras (b-2, nb-16, w-1) 19. Total (for five wkts.) 293. Fall of wickets: 1-99, 2-154, 3-223, 4-260, 5-285.

Kerala bowling: Sreesanth 11-2-48-0, J. Grandbell 15-1-45-0, Suresh Kumar 20-4-50-1, Sreekumar Nair 20-9-38-0, Ananthapadmanabhan 31-11-98-4, Sunil Oasis 3-0-12-0.

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