BENGALURU: Ravikumar Samarth is a key player for India A, but his performances in the last few matches have been below par. After a ton against West Indies A in July in England, the Karnataka batsman hasn’t had a good run. The 25-year-old was keen to get back to scoring ways versus Australia A in the second unofficial four-day Test at KSCA ground in Alur on Sunday. His intent was positive, and he looked determined to stay at the crease for long. One knew if Samarth, who scored 673 runs in the last Ranji season, batted for long, runs would come.
With sheer determination, he scored 83 in 190 minutes. But it was not easy with Australia A pacers constantly bowling short balls at him. There were a few instances when the chin music troubled him, but after overcoming a testing period, the right-hander was in full flow, playing quality shots all around the park to give him the confidence to score big. “The wicket was not easy when bowlers were sending down short stuff. It was two-paced. Some were coming slow off the wicket, and some were climbing. It was not easy to get under the ball,” said Samarth.
There was a serious need for Samarth to get a good score, with the domestic season set to start in the next ten days. This score will help him regain confidence, especially after his dismal run in the quadrangular series last month. Samarth is aware of the importance of converting such scores into bigger ones. “I am that kind of a person who gets disappointed if I do not convert my good starts into a triple-digit score. It is very disappointing when you know that you have played the hard balls in the initial phase, and then you’re getting out after that. “But, I knew I was batting well and I am in a good frame of mind currently. It was just one knock that was supposed to happen. I thought today I would complete my century as well, but that unfortunately did not happen.” said Samarth.
However, it was not only about Samarth. He and his opening partner Abhimanyu Easwaran (86) were involved in a partnership of 174, which put India A in a commanding position. At stumps, India trailed by 123 runs. Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav’s brilliant bowling helped the home team dismiss their opponents for 346. ashim.sunam@newindianexpress.com Brief scores: Australia A 346 in 109 ovs (Mitchell Marsh 113 n.o; Kuldeep Yadav 5/91, Shahbaz Nadeem 3/90) vs India A 223/3 in 70 ovs (Ravikumar Samarth 83, Abhimanyu Easwaran 86).