Vijay Hazare Trophy: Samarth, Padikkal lead Karnataka to massive win | Cricket News
BENGALURU: The last couple of months have been a mixed bag for Karnataka’s new skipper R Samarth. The opener failed to make it to the squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament but not only was he named in the Vijay Hazare Trophy squad, he was also handed the captain’s band.
Having started the campaign on a losing note, Samarth led from the front in Karnataka’s runaway 267-run win over minnows Bihar at the Just Cricket ground here on Monday. The 28-year-old struck an unbeaten 144-ball 158 (15×4; 1×6), his highest List A individual score, as Karnataka piled 354 for 3 in 50 overs.
In reply, Bihar was never in the hunt and were bowled out for 87 in 27.2 overs with pacer Prasidh Krishna returning 4/17. This was Karnataka’s biggest List A win, surpassing their 207-run victory against Jammu and Kashmir in the 2015-16 season.
Looking to cash in on the morning conditions, Bihar invited the defending champions to bat. Samarth and Devdutt Padikkal (97, 98b, 8×4, 2×6) started off cautiously. They concentrated on rotating the strike, with the run rate under four runs per over for the first 10 overs, before bringing up the team’s 50 off 84 balls. Then gradually, they cut loose.
The duo figured in a 153-run opening stand with Padikkal being the more adventurous of the two. Padikkal missed out on his third List A century when he lost his stumps to Rahul Kumar, three runs short off a well-deserved 100. Samarth in the company of KV Siddharth (76, 55b, 5×4, 4×6) accelerated the scoring. Siddharth brought up his half-century in 35 balls and Samarth followed up with his century which came in 117 balls. Together, they added 171 runs to the total.
Bihar got off to a disastrous start with opener Shasheem Rathour run out in the second over. Prasidh sent back Babul Kumar in the same over. Soon, Bihar were reeling 13 for 5. Opener Sakibul Gani (37) and skipper Ashutosh Aman put up some resistance with their sixth-wicket stand of 44 but with left-arm spinner J Suchith breaking partnership, Bihar’s lower order collapsed. For Karnataka, pacer Abhimanyu Mithun and leggie Shreyas Gopal collected two wickets apiece.
The hosts take on Odisha on Wednesday.
SCOREBOARD
Karnataka: Samarth (not out) 158, Padikkal b R Kumar 97, Siddharth c&b Raj 76, Aniruddha c Gani b Raj 6, Mithun (not out) 7. Extras (NB-1, W-6, B-2, LB-1) 10. Total (3 wkts; 50 overs) 354.
Fall of wickets: 1-153, 2-324, 3-335
Bowling: Raj 10-0-68-2, S Khan 10-0-66-0, R Kumar 9-0-69-1, Aman 9-0-43-0, Quadri 9-0-67-0, Rathour 2-0-20-0, Akash 1-0-18-0.
Bihar: Gani c Nair b Prasidh 37, Rathour (run out) 0, B Kumar lbw Prasidh 0, Mahrour b Prasidh 8, Akash lbw Mithun 1, Ranjan lbw Mithun 0, Aman c Aniruddha b Suchith 11, S Khan lbw Shreyas 1, A Raj c Mithun b Shreyas 10, R Kumar b Prasidh 0, Quadri (not out) 6. Extras (NB-3, W-4, B-4, LB-2) 13.
Total (all out; 27.2 overs) 87.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-12, 4-13, 5-13, 6-57, 7-64, 8-70, 9-70.
Bowling: Mithun 5-3-7-2, Prasidh 6.1-3-17-4, Suchith 7.5-2-14-1, More 4-0-21-0, Shreyas 4.2-0-22-2.
