The joke at the Chinnaswamy Stadium a little before and after tea time was who would take the lead, Karnataka or India. For both teams were in identical situations, dire straits, and scores as well in their respective ventures on Saturday.
If India were 148 for 8 in the Test against England in Kolkata, Karnataka were 167 for 8 against Delhi in their group B Ranji Trophy clash at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Eventually, the home team folded up for 192 but they hit back to some extent scalping two Delhi wickets for 44 at the end of the first day’s play.
Delhi’s right arm medium pacer Parvinder Awana, who had claimed five wickets against Haryana in their last game which they lost, kept up his fine showing and add another five wicket haul to destroy Karnataka. But for some late efforts by Vinay Kumar, Mithun and Appanna, Karnataka might not have crossed the 150 mark.
Though the wicket had a green sheen, Karnataka chose to bat after winning the toss. The ball came well up as well and batting wasn’t a difficult proposition. But trying to play their shots without moving their feet coupled with a couple of questionable decisions, spelt Karnataka’s doom. It was began with opener Robin Uthappa who shouldered arms to a ball which seemed to be a shade outside the off stump but was given out with the umpire perhaps feeling that it was on the off. It was 1 for 4 and Karnataka never really recovered sufficiently from then on. Wickets fell at regular intervals with wicket-keeper Punish Bisht supporting Awana and the others with a safe pair of gloves. He held no less than five snicks as the batsmen disappeared into the pavilion faster than the time they took to come to the crease.
They were 5 for 67 but Stuart Binny, the highest scorer with 61, and Kunal Kapoor put on 38 runs to lend some respectability to the score. But Binny edged Awana to Bisht after a 160-minute vigil at the wicket.
Right-arm medium pacer H S Sharath bagged two quick wickets as he trapped Unmukth Chand and induced an edge off Mohit Sharma to Rahul to give the hosts some hopes of a fightback. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan with 38 and the dangerous Mithun Minhas on five were at the wicket to take Delhi forward from 2 for 44.