HYDERABAD: Manish Pandey’s unbeaten century (101 not out, 74 balls, 10×4, 3×6) fashioned Karnataka’s emphatic, 104-run win over Tamil Nadu in a crucial round-robin league match of the South Zone limited-overs cricket tournament for K.S. Subbaiah Pillai Trophy at Gymkhana Ground here on Monday.
This was Karnataka’s third straight win and Tamil Nadu’s first defeat in three games.
Put into bat in overcast conditions, Karnataka openers Robin Uthappa and Lokesh Rahul avoided any risk by posting a 50-run stand in 12.1 overs before Uthappa glided one from left-arm spinner Chandrasekhar to slip fielder.
Then, Rahul and Mayank Agarwal put on 73 runs for the second wicket — a phase which also saw the wicket ease a lot with moisture in the wicket drying up as the sun came out. Rahul was all class during his neatly-paced innings (67, 94 balls, 6×4, 2×6).
As the innings progressed, it was the turn of the big-hitting Manish Pandey to hold centre-stage — treating both spin and pace with disdain. He launched into a splendid six over long-off off medium-pacer M Mohammed. He hit Yomahesh over long-off for a six to move from 93 to 99 and then pushed one to off-side for a single to reach century.
The terrific return catch by Manish Pandey, diving to his right to complete a one-handed catch, to send back the talented Baba Aparjith was symbolic of the brilliant fielding by Karnataka in general.
In reply, Tamil Nadu struggled from the word go in the face of accurate bowling by Abhimanyu Mithun and Vinay Kumar with the new ball. Mithun returned with a four-wicket haul, bowling fast and had the batsmen hurrying.
When he sent back R. Sathish, who failed to control his pull stroke and hit straight to short mid-wicket, Tamil Nadu was reduced to 83 for five, putting Karnataka well and truly on top.
Though Dinesh Karthik (63, 60 balls, 6×4, 1×6) and Yomahesh (55, 54 balls, 4×4, 3×6) were involved in a 121-run stand for the sixth wicket of 98 balls, it came a bit too late. And, once Yomahesh and Dinesh Karthik were dismissed in identical fashion — pulling medium-pacer Sharath straight to the fielder in the deep, Tamil Nadu lost the last four wickets for just five runs.
Ashish’s show in vain
In another match, fine all-round show by Ashish Reddy, who claimed five wickets and then hit an unbeaten 119, went in vain as Hyderabad suffered third straight defeat in three games when Kerala won the match by 133 runs. For the winners, K. B. Pawan (106) was the top-scorer.
Saurav bandekar (101) helped Goa record a 45-run win over Andhra in another match to keep its hopes alive in the event.
The scores: Karnataka 313 for six in 50 overs (K.L. Rahul 67, Mayank Agarwal 40, Manish Pandey 101 not out) bt Tamil Nadu 209 in 43.5 overes (Murali Vijay 33, Dinesh Karthik 63, Yomahesh 55, Abhimanyu Mithun four for 38, Abrar Kazi three for 14).
Kerala 321 for nine in 50 overs (K. B. Pawan 106, Rohan Prem 96, Sachin Baby 42, Ashish Reddy five for 30) bt Hyderabad 188 all out in 43.5 overs (Ashish Reddy 119 not out, Vinod Kumar three for 34).
Goa 217 in 46.4 overs (Rohith Asnodkar 71, S.S. Bandekar 101, P. Vijay Kumar four for 25, S. Veeraraghavelu three for 39) bt Andhra 172 in 46.1 overs (D. B. Prashanth Kumar 51, Darshanl Misal five for 31).
