Team Karnataka had yet another underwhelming campaign in the Ranji Trophy. The domestic giants lost to Vidarbha in the quarters of India’s premier tournament by a 128 runs, thus ending their long-standing dream of lifting the trophy. Karnataka, who had last won the Ranji Trophy in 2014-15, couldn’t chase down 370, and were bundled out for 243 in the second innings.
Ranji Trophy, Karnataka vs Vidarbha
It wasn’t just their chase that went wrong in the match for Karnataka. After opting to bowl first, they let Vidarbha score 460, with their ex-player Karun Nair scoring a valuable 90. The they were bundled out for 286, with skipper Mayank Agarwal getting out for a duck, and experienced Manish Pandey falling for 15.
Come the chase, despite being in a strong position at 101/1, Karnataka lost the other nine, adding just 142.
Selector Lashes Out at Mayank & Manish
As per a report in Deccan Herald, the Chairman of selection committee J Abhiram, wasn’t impressed with the show his side had put, especially the senior pros, Mayank and Manish. He said, “I was fuming at the shot Mayank played. Even Manish, you expect some sort of application and temperament from such senior players. The seniors had to shoulder the responsibility and they’ve totally failed today. It’s shocking.
“I told Mayank last night that if one wicket falls it could lead to one or two more. And that’s what happened today. It was just Gujarat again where we fell apart from 50/1 to 103 all out. The senior batters really need to reflect on the shots they’ve played in this game. It’s sad the effort of the fast bowlers didn’t bear fruit.”
