Kamal Ghorui
Lucknow: On a day when the result was a mere formality and Karnataka’s place in the Ranji Trophy final was already assured, the umpires briefly kept the semifinal against Uttarakhand alive — much to the bemusement of players and broadcasters alike. The only moment of intrigue at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday came at tea, when captains Kunal Chandela and Karun Nair — standing in for an injured Devdutt Padikkal — shook hands, signalling what everyone believed was the end of proceedings. Presentation signage was rolled out, players drifted towards the ceremony area, and one even headed to the dressing room to pack for the airport.
However, a few minutes later, play was ordered to resume after tea. With Uttarakhand six wickets down, umpires pointed to the rulebook, noting that an outright result for Karnataka was still technically possible. A visibly disgruntled Karnataka side returned to the field, but with the match long decided, Abhay Negi (57 n.o.) and Saurabh Rawat (53 n.o.) treated the final session as batting practice, while the opposition wound down the clock. The match was finally called off less than an hour after tea, with Uttarakhand at 260/6. Karnataka will now host first-time finalists Jammu and Kashmir at the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium — the first time the northern Karnataka region will stage a Ranji Trophy final. “We are playing the final after a long time. We’ve been working very hard for the last few years but couldn’t quite make it,” said Karnataka head coach Yere Goud. “Playing at home makes it even more special.” Goud was quick to underline the challenge posed by Jammu and Kashmir. “They have done extremely well, beating MP and Bengal. A lot of credit should go to them. They are a very dangerous side. We need to play good cricket and focus on our processes — we’ll have to play well to beat them.” Karnataka sweat over Padikkal Karnataka skipper Devdutt Padikkal did not take the field on the final day after suffering a cut while fielding on Wednesday, which required five stitches on his right hand. However, Goud played down concerns over his availability for the final starting Tuesday. “When I saw the cut, I was pretty sure he’ll make it. He probably needs two to three days’ rest and should be fine for the game,” Goud said. Shreyas’ landmark The match also marked a personal milestone for leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal, who became the latest Karnataka bowler to reach 300 first-class wickets, which came in his 97th appearance in the format. The 32-year-old is the side’s leading wicket-taker this season with 46 scalps. “It’s a special feeling to reach the milestone in a semifinal, and it gives me a lot of confidence going into the final,” said Shreyas. Earlier, Karnataka, resuming at 299/6, were bowled out for 323, with KL Rahul left unbeaten on 86 after running out of partners. Karnataka’s focus now shifts to Hubballi and a chance to add a ninth Ranji Trophy title to their storied history. SCOREBOARD Karnataka (I innings): 736 Uttarakhand (II innings): 233 Karnataka (II innings, o/n 299/6): KL Rahul (not out) 86, Vyshak Vijaykumar st S Rawat b Mishra 0, Shikhar Shetty b Mishra 7, Prasidh Krishna (run out) 7, Devdutt Padikkal (absent hurt). Extras (B-8; NB-4; LB-2; W-1) 15. Total (all out; 74.3 overs) 323 Fall of wickets: 7-299, 8-311, 9-323 Bowling: Abhay Negi 19-9-63-2, Janmejay Joshi 9-0-54-0, Mayank Mishra 18-3-69-4, Avneesh Sudha 12-1-50-1, J Suchith 12-0-59-1, Aditya Rawat 3.3-0-15-0, Lakshya Raichandani 1-0-3-0. Uttarakhand (II innings): Bhupen Lalwani c Kruthik b Prasidh 15, Prasanth Chopra c Kruthik b Vyshak 0, Avneesh Sudha c Rahul b Shreyas 66, Lakshya Raichandani c Kruthik b Prasidh 10, J Suchith c Aneesh (sub) b Shreyas 19, Saurabh Rawat (not out) 53, Kunal Chandela st Kruthik b Shreyas 20, Abhay Negi (not out) 57. Extras (B-12; LB-2; W-6) 20. Total (6 wkts; 62 overs) 260. Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-48, 3-72, 4-107, 5-128, 6-156. Bowling: Vidyadhar Patil 4-0-13-0, Prasidh Krishna 6-1-17-2, Vyshak Vijaykumar 4-0-22-1, Shikhar Shetty 24-1-97-0, Shreyas Gopal 19-1-83-3; Karun Nair 2-0-9-0; Mayank Agarwal 2-0-5-0.
