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BCCI deadbats Amarnath’s comments

Sports

Dec 122012

The BCCI has chosen not to respond to the comments made by former selector Mohinder Amarnath in which he said that MS Dhoni’s sacking from the captaincy role after the tour of Australia was blocked by the BCCI president.

“We don’t wish to respond to these allegations at this point when the team is due to play a Test,” Sanjay Jagdale, the BCCI secretary, said. “But I want to say that the BCCI has full confidence in the captain and the coach and we are fully supportive of the team. “

According to Amarnath, the selectors wanted to appoint a young captain after India’s Test losses in Australia, but N Srinivasan, the BCCI president, intervened to overrule the selector’s decision. There was massive speculation that Amarnath’s disagreements with the board were the reason his term as a selector ended abruptly when he was actually expected to be the new chairman of the selectors.

However, Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman, denied any such events happened. “I will not go into what he [Amarnath] has said,” Shukla said. “I don’t think it is appropriate to give statements like this. Whatever one has to say, one can say while participating in the [selection] meeting. Making comments about it, I think, it is not appropriate as it creates some kind of perception in the minds of players and fans. Selectors are independent. They are not under any pressure.”

Dhoni sacking blocked by board chief – Amarnath

Sports

Dec 122012

Mohinder Amarnath at the BCCI's annual awards function, Mumbai, December 6, 2009 Mohinder Amarnath has revealed the previous selection committee’s decision on relieving MS Dhoni off the Test captaincy was overturned by the Board president © AFP
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News : BCCI deadbats Amarnath’s comments
News : India have the character to bounce back – Dhoni
News : Former India selectors slam team
Players/Officials: Mohinder Amarnath | MS Dhoni

Mohinder Amarnath, the former India selector, has said it was the BCCI president, N Srinivasan, who overruled the selectors’ unanimous call for sacking of MS Dhoni as captain after the two whitewashes in England and Australia. “The Board President did not approve the unanimous decision to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” Amarnath told CNN-IBN.

Post the Test debacle in Australia, Amarnath said, the selectors wanted to appoint a young captain for the triangular one-day series that followed, but their decision was overturned.

“We selected the team for the triangular series, selected 17 players but we did not select the captain,” he said. “The captain was selected by somebody else.”

Asked whether he questioned the decision, Amarnath said, “When you respect a person you don’t ask questions. But my question is, you have a selection committee those who think what is best for Indian cricket then why they are not given a free hand.

The selectors thought about stepping down then, Amarnath said, but decided against it as they, “did not want to create a big stir there as the team was playing abroad and the series was going on there.”

There was massive speculation that this was the reason Amarnath’s term as a selector ended abruptly when he was actually expected to be the new chairman of the selectors. When asked about that, all Amarnath said was: “I don’t miss it.”

Amarnath was asked to clarify a rumour doing the rounds that he was cited the BCCI constitution that stated he could not sack Dhoni without the higher-ups clearing it. “Neither will I say yes nor will I deny it, okay,” he responded. “I know the facts, and I will tell you the facts when I feel the time is right.” He did go on to say, though, that he was not aware of the constitution. Clause 13(a)(iv) of the BCCI constitution states that: “The President shall approve the composition of a team, selected by the Selection Committee.”

“When somebody becomes a selector, I don’t think you are aware of the constitution of the BCCI,” he said. “I was not aware. I don’t think even the current committee is aware of the constitution.”

According to the Indian Express, Amarnath, Narendra Hirwani and Raja Venkat, during a meeting in January this year for selecting the squad for the CB Series in Australia, wanted to sack Dhoni.

“Sanjay Jagdale, the BCCI secretary and convener of the national selection committee, consulted BCCI president N Srinivasan who shot down the proposal. Srinivasan made it clear that though the majority of the selectors felt that Dhoni didn’t inspire confidence as Test skipper the time was not right to remove him,” a selector told the paper.

Why does Amarnath think Dhoni doesn’t deserve a place in the Test side? “If you see his track record for the last one year as captain, I am talking about Test matches, not one-day, he hasn’t done anything,” Amarnath said. “You give a run to a guy. I am not saying you should remove a guy overnight, but if you see a guy is failing again and again, I don’t think it is going to be possible to continue with the same guy.

“I think he should be replaced in Test cricket. I am not talking shorter versions. He is an asset there, he has done very well, he is a match-winner, but with the technique he has I don’t see him do any wonders in Test cricket.

“You have to look at contribution of the players, where you are playing and what opposition you are playing. We have to move ahead with times, and we have to look forward. People who have contributed to the game, we respect them, we adore them, but what is important is future of Indian cricket and not to live in the past. Cricket has changed, age has everything to do in life. We have to look ahead.

“I believe in fresh blood. I was looking forward for a guy like Virat Kohli to take over as captain in one day cricket. I think he is a fantastic player, he is the future.”

When Amarnath spoke about moving forward, he was asked about Sachin Tendulkar and what his future should be. “Sachin has been a great cricketer, a great ambassador, he has achieved everything but I think they way he is playing we see a shadow of Sachin Tendulkar,” he said. “And I don’t accept him to play in the same fashion as he has done in the past. Age is a factor. He is not alone. Look at all greats. Once you cross mid-30s, things become little bit difficult, a little bit more demanding. He is no exception. He has to take it very seriously, and I think the selectors have to have a word with him, what are his plans. Then they should take a call and then decide.”

India have the character to bounce back – Dhoni

Sports

Dec 122012

Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni at a practice session, World Twenty20 2012, Colombo, September 19, 2012 MS Dhoni: “About Gautam, the best thing I like about him is he is an aggressive character” © AFP
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News : BCCI deadbats Amarnath’s comments
News : Dhoni sacking blocked by board chief – Amarnath
Features : Gambhir shrugs off his struggles
What They Said About : ‘Indian preparation was diabolical’
News : ‘Won’t run away from responsibility’ – Dhoni
Players/Officials: MS Dhoni | Gautam Gambhir | Sachin Tendulkar
Series/Tournaments: England tour of India

MS Dhoni, India’s under-fire captain, has said this is the time for the team to show character. India are 2-1 down against England and could lose their first Test series at home since 2004 if they don’t win the Nagpur Test. In all they have now lost 10 of their 11 Tests against England and Australia, and almost every player in the side has had his place questioned in recent times.

“Not only as a captain, but as an individual too you rarely get these situations,” Dhoni said. “Against South Africa [in 2008], we were in a similar situation, when we were down in the series, going into Kanpur. I won’t say this is a very good situation to be in, but you get to know the character of a team or a person only in tough times. In a way it’s a good situation to be in where we have nowhere to go. We have to do well in this game.”

Dhoni said the team has been in good spirits despite the reverses over the last few weeks. “The spirit is really good,” he said. “We have maintained that really well. In tough times the only people who will support you are team members, and the support staff. We have kept it really close, and the good thing is we are enjoying our cricket, which at times you don’t tend to do when you go through a rough patch. When it comes to the dressing-room atmosphere, it’s looking great.”

Dhoni said his team is used to being under such pressure. “If you are part of Indian cricket, everything is under the microscope, and everybody has an opinion about cricket,” he said. “Everybody asks the questions we also ask, but nobody comes with a solution, which is the brilliant part. That’s how it goes in India. Cricket is a sport followed in a big way. Everybody has an opinion about everything that goes on.

“People who have covered cricket for a long time, once you wait for the result you have plenty more questions you can ask – ‘Why that guy was not picked’, ‘why this guy was not given the new ball.’ It’s not like soccer where players play from a specific area. The midfielder plays from there, you alter it very rarely. Cricket is a sport where you can ask a lot of questions. That’s a big part of our life. We are under the microscope throughout.”

Asked if many cricketing futures relied on the coming game, Dhoni said there was no need to be that dramatic. “That’s getting very critical,” Dhoni said. “A series or two or a rough patch…everybody was talking of this phase in Indian cricket where the big cricketers will move on and the pressure will come on young players. Everybody was expecting a rough patch.

“Of course we have struggled in the last two Test matches. If you ask big questions depending on two Test matches, it may come in the future too when we lose two Test matches that youngsters should go out and somebody else should come in. You have to be consistent. You have to keep faith in the players. People who have done a lot for Indian cricket over the years, just on the basis of one series or two Test matches or half a season, it will be difficult if you are asking questions.”

Dhoni defended two of his batsmen under-fire from the critics. About Sachin Tendulkar, he said: “He is the best man to have in the side in a game like this. The experience he has, the kind of performances he has given under pressure over the years is something we all look up to. When it comes to Sachin, the best thing to do is to not speculate. He has proved everybody wrong throughout his career. There is nothing really to speculate. Let him enjoy his cricket. That’s important.”

Gautam Gambhir got Dhoni’s vote of confidence too. “About Gautam, the best thing I like about him is he is an aggressive character,” Dhoni said. “I always talk about it. I have played with him a lot. If you see the last few games, he has batted really well, he has taken time. There is a lot of improvement in his batting. I feel whenever he is aggressive – by aggressive I don’t mean stepping out and hitting the ball, it’s more about positively defending a ball, because that can be an aggressive mindset. He has been batting well in the last few games. It’s an ideal setup, this is a big game, he is a big-game player. He can transform starts into a big innings.”

About the pressure on himself, Dhoni said he can handle these situations well. “That’s one thing I have done really good,” he said. “Whether it was the 2007 World Cup or when it was the 2011 World Cup, when people appreciate me, I don’t go to seventh heaven and go outside my way. When people criticise me, it’s the same.

“In India we have extreme opinions. We praise someone very highly, and in a few games we start pulling the same individual down. I always say it’s important to be in the middle path. That’s how you will enjoy the sport. I have been quite good at maintaining that. Whether you win a game or lose it, the basics remain the same. It hasn’t been difficult not watching TV or reading newspapers. I have not been doing it for quite some time now.”

Finn in doubt for Nagpur Test

Sports

Dec 122012

Steven Finn took the final India wicket to fall, India v England, 3rd Test, Kolkata, 2nd day, December 6, 2012 A scan has shown a minor disc injury in Steven Finn’s lower back and he was unable to take any part in training on Wednesday © BCCI
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Players/Officials: Steven Finn
Matches: India v England at Nagpur
Series/Tournaments: England tour of India

Steven Finn has emerged as a major injury doubt ahead of the fourth Test in Nagpur after suffering a back injury. Finn, who missed the first two Tests with a thigh strain, reported some soreness on the final day of the Kolkata Test. A scan has shown a minor disc injury in his lower back and he was unable to take any part in training on Wednesday.

While the England team management are not ruling Finn out of the Test, his inclusion would appear to involve them taking an uncharacteristic risk. They are expected to pick just two seamers for the game, so will be loathe to go into it with any injury doubts over one of them.

Stuart Broad has been ruled out of the Test after a scan on his left heel showed bruising. He will remain with the squad for now with a decision taken over his availability for the T20 games over the next few days.

Tim Bresnan is the likely replacement for Finn. Bresnan was dropped after a disappointing performance in the first Test in Ahmedabad.

The England Performance Programme (EPP) squad is currently in Pune, but there are no plans to call-up a substitute for Broad or Finn.

More to follow

Former India selectors slam team

Sports

Dec 112012

Mohinder Amarnath arrives for interviews aimed at naming India's coach, New Delhi, May 19, 2005 Mohinder Amarnath: “”What has he done for the team in the last one year? The selection committee does not have guts to remove Dhoni.”” © AFP
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Players/Officials: Mohinder Amarnath | Kris Srikkanth | Dilip Vengsarkar
Series/Tournaments: England tour of India

Former India selectors, two of them part of the selection committee as recently as the World Twenty20 in September this year, have called for drastic changes to the team they themselves built, strongly criticising the captaincy of MS Dhoni.

Mohinder Amarnath, who was asked to leave the selection committee under speculation that he didn’t comply with the BCCI’s demands, has been the strongest voice in asking for Dhoni to be sacked. “Dhoni doesn’t find a place in the team,” Amarnath said. “What has he done for the team in the last one year? The selection committee does not have guts to remove Dhoni.”

Amarnath said he was not bitter about his removal from the selection panel. “I am not against Dhoni,” he said. “It is not that I do not like him. But we should look at it from a broader perspective. It is important to look at current performance of players rather than past performances.” Amarnath suggested a split captaincy as the alternative. “There is no harm in having different captains for different forms of the game,” he said. “I am impressed with Virat Kohli in the shorter version of the game. Gautam Gambhir could be a replacement for Dhoni in Tests.”

Kris Srikkanth, the chairman of the previous committee that was reluctant to make changes, has come out all guns blazing. Two days after saying Dhoni has lost control over things and that he is confused, Srikkanth has written in a column that the team needs to acknowledge failures, which is exactly what the previous selection committee headed by him didn’t do.

“Time has come for everyone to own up responsibility and stand up to be counted,” Srikkanth wrote. “It is also time to stop blaming the conditions for every reversal. A good team must perform in all conditions and not lend too much thought on things they have no control over.”

Dilip Vengsarkar, the chairman of selectors before the last committee took over, said there weren’t many options available. “We are struggling with options at present,” he said. “Some players are struggling with injuries. We do not have strong replacements for these players. The team members have to remove themselves from their comfort zone and perform well.”

India will come out fighting, warns Swann

Sports

Dec 112012

Graeme Swann had Sachin Tendulkar caught at slip, India v England, 3rd Test, Kolkata, 4th day, December 8, 2012 Graeme Swann has warned England against complacency in the fourth Test © BCCI
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News : Broad suffers recurrence of heel injury
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News : Confident England want series win – Gooch
Players/Officials: Graeme Swann
Series/Tournaments: England tour of India

Graeme Swann has urged caution ahead of England’s final Test against India, warning that the hosts will be desperate for a victory in Nagpur that would tie the series.

Back-to-back wins in Mumbai and Kolkata have put England on the verge of their first series victory in India since 1984-85 and, while Swann expects to play a prominent role alongside Monty Panesar on another spin-friendly pitch, he recognises the danger of playing a team looking to salvage their eight-year unbeaten run at home.

“It is tough, but sometimes it’s a good position to be in,” Swann said of India’s situation. “If there’s only one possible result you can get, you can go all out fighting. The last Test of a series, if you know the result hangs on it, is normally a very exciting one.”

India have rung the changes ahead of the final Test, which starts on Thursday as they look for a response from their under-fire squad. Batsman Yuvraj Singh and seamer Zaheer Khan have been dropped, while spinner Harbhajan Singh misses out despite playing no role in the defeat in Kolkata.

“I’m sure India will come out fighting because they have to win the game,” Swann said. “Equally so, I’m sure we’ll approach the game thinking attack is our best form of defence. I think that’s what has proved crucial in the last couple of games.”

Swann and a number of his England colleagues have been in a similar position before, winning the final Test in Sydney in 2011 to claim a 3-1 Ashes victory in Australia, England’s first triumph Down Under in almost a quarter of a century.

“Back in Australia, we didn’t get carried away before that Sydney game,” Swann said. “We spoke of how important it was to keep our feet on the ground. That’s all we’re doing here. We’re not taking anything for granted, we don’t sit down and pat ourselves on the back and say ‘Look how well we have played the last two games’. That’s a very dangerous place to get in.

“On Thursday morning we’ll assess the pitch, play accordingly and hope to win this game, because we obviously want to get home for Christmas having won this series 3-1. Whatever the pitch is we’ve got to try and win the game, that’s all we ever try and do.”

Draw in Mumbai after madcap day

Sports

Dec 112012

Saurashtra 209 (Jadeja 70, Saxena 5-17) and 333 for 8 (Jackson 118*, Jadeja 68, Vasavada 59, Saxena 6-133) beat Bengal 112 (Tiwary 55*, Jadeja 4-48, Doshi 3-24) and 160 (Jadeja 4-50) by 270 runsScorecard

Bengal collapsed to the spin of Ravindra Jadeja and Nayan Doshi to suffer their third loss in six winless games, after they were bowled out for 160 for a big 270-run defeat in Rajkot. Resuming at 65 for 3, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala departed within the first ten overs of the morning session, after which wickets fell regularly. Laxmi Shukla struck three sixes and four boundaries to provide some entertainment, but didn’t last long. At 150 for 5, opener Rohan Banerjee fell to Jadeja for 47, and the innings lasted another 3.2 overs. Bengal were handicapped by the absence of their captain Manoj Tiwary, who was out of the game due to back trouble.

For Saurashtra, the seeds of victory had been laid by the end of the third day, when they had reduced Bengal to 65 for 3 after setting them a target of 431. Sheldon Jackson had scored an unbeaten century as Saurashtra consolidated a 97-run first-innings lead with an impressive batting performance. Jadeja celebrated his Test call-up with 138 runs and eight wickets in the match.

Vinay bullish about reaching quarters

Sports

Dec 112012

Karnataka's Vinay Kumar celebrates an early strike, Karnataka v Mumbai, Ranji Trophy final, Mysore, 1st day, January 11, 2010 Vinay Kumar has backed Karnataka to do well in their next three games, two of which are in home conditions [file photo] © Sportz Solutions
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Players/Officials: Vinay Kumar
Matches: Karnataka v Delhi at Bangalore
Series/Tournaments: Ranji Trophy | Indian Domestic Season

It took five games for a struggling Karnataka to get their first win of the season, but with only 11 points on the board their captain Vinay Kumar is bullish about making the quarter-finals, if they can make the most of their three remaining games. Playing in familiar surroundings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, Karnataka picked up six points from their victory over Delhi on Tuesday which meant they were no longer the bottom-placed team in Group B, jumping to sixth. With their next two games also at home (in Mysore and Hubli), Vinay felt two more wins would help them get a foot in the door in the quarter-finals.

“It was a good win and there were some positives to take from the game,” Vinay said. “Now we’ve got 11 points. In the next three games, two are home games, one’s away. Hopefully we’ll get another two outright wins and make the quarter-finals.”

The pitch had a crucial role to play. Karnataka were desperate for a result to arrest their slide, and a grassy pitch was prepared to encourage a win. It was a sort of pitch suited for the seamers to make a mark on the opening day, but Vinay took the gamble of batting first. You had to ask why a team struggling for runs through the season would throw its batsmen in the deep end at a crucial stage in the tournament.

From an armchair critic’s perspective, it was a surprising decision but Karnataka saw things differently. It was a question of seeing off the new ball and waiting for the afternoon session to start piling on the runs. However, the decision was questioned on the opening day when Karnataka were bowled out for 192.

Their bowlers did a decent job to not allow Delhi run away with an imposing lead, keeping it to 66. Karnataka’s openers, Robin Uthappa and KL Rahul got their heads together to build a stand of 140. Delhi hit back with quick wickets but the hosts’ middle order ensured a more than handy lead, enough to ensure they couldn’t lose.

If given a similar pitch, Vinay said he would still opt to bat. “It was a good wicket to bat on,” he said. “In any wicket, the first one hour will be crucial. We lost three wickets in the first hour. So, if we get the same kind of wicket, we’re definitely going to bat first.”

The pitch had eased out for the batsmen on the fourth day, and with the Mithun Manhas-Rajat Bhatia duo standing in the way of Karnataka’s plans of chasing a win, Vinay realised he had to try something different in the field to force mistakes. He continued to attack, and persisted with his seamers from both ends.

Manhas’ untimely dismissal, caught off a top edge, gave Karnataka a big opening, but Vinay felt that Bhatia’s wicket, caught brilliantly by Kunal Kapoor at silly point, turned the game.

“Till tea, we tried many things, but nothing happened,” he said. “The catch that Kunal took was amazing. That’s where the game turned. The fourth-day wicket was very good to bat on. We knew when the new ball was due, we would have a chance.”

While Karnataka can toast their success, there’s still plenty to be done if they are to be contenders for the quarter-finals. They need bigger contributions from their batsmen. So far, the team has only two centuries, both scored in a high-scoring draw in Chennai. In this game, both Uthappa and Stuart Binny were in sight of centuries but fell in the eighties.

Their performance against Delhi was a big improvement from their previous game against Odisha, where none of the batsmen passed fifty. Having made 475 in the second innings, Vinay acknowledged the improvement but felt it was time his frontline batsmen started converting their scores. He said the bowling attack had a more settled look, and wasn’t in favour of going with four frontline seamers, given that the lone spinner KP Appanna was underused in this game.

“It (playing four seamers) means that one will be underbowled. If it’s the three of us and Stuart (Binny), it’ll be easier for us to rotate the bowlers. Appanna is also there, he got three crucial wickets in this game. So, we don’t think four seamers is a good option.”

Services maintain lead at top

Sports

Dec 112012

Services 473 (Yashpal 166*, Chaterjee 103, Jakati 4-100) and 99 for 2 (Gupta 62*, Bandekar 1-7) drew with Goa 381 (Asnodkar 83, Shukla 78, Yashpal 4-12)Scorecard

Services dismissed the last five Goa batsmen in time to take the points for first-innings lead in Porvorim and maintain their position at the top of the Group C table.

They broke the 119-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ravikant Shukla and Rohit Asnodkar in the first over of the day and then took the remaining four wickets for 60 runs. Continuing with his overnight score of 52, Asnodkar added another 31 which took the team total to 381 in reply to Services’ 473. Right-arm medium bowler Yashpal Singh finished with figures of 4 for 12.

Services came out to bat for 39 overs in the second innings and were 99 for 2 when the match ended in a draw.

Assam 354 (Das 90, Sinha 53, Dhawan 4-60) drew with Himachal Pradesh 316 for 5 (Dhawan 114*, Bhalaik 57*, Mohammad 2-62)Scorecard

Himachal Pradesh and Assam ended up sharing one point each after only 50 overs were possible on the last day of the Group C tie in Guwahati. Himachal started the day 158 behind Assam’s first innings total, lost only one wicket and ended the day on 316 for 5, only 38 short of Assam’s total. Amit Kumar was out in the 10th over of the day, but Rishi Dhawan and Aatish Bhalaik shared an unbeaten 143-run stand.

Allrounder Dhawan continued his good form scoring his third century of the season and taking his total to 460 runs. He earlier took four wickets in the match which made him the highest wicket-taker of the season so far with 32 wickets.

Jammu & Kashmir 215 (ID Singh 117*, Shahid 8-51) and 151 (Prasanth 5-16) beat Kerala 163 (Rassol 3-66, Mudhasir 3-15) and 129 (Rassol 5-43, Gupta 5-26) by 74 runsScorecard

Seventeen wickets fell on the third day at Malappuram and at the end of it Jammu & Kashmir had beaten Kerala by 74 runs. It was the first time J&K had won a second Ranji Trophy match in a season since 2000-01.

The day had begun with J&K on 68 for 3 in their second innings, leading by 120. They were dismissed for 151. Padmanabhan Prasanth took 5 for 16 in 14.4 overs, while KR Sreejith claimed 3 for 56.

Chasing a target of 204, Kerala had reached 44 for 0 before they began to collapse. They lost five wickets for 21 runs, and their last four wickets for 15. Apart from the openers, no one else got past 20 and Kerala were dismissed for 129. Parvez Rassol took 5 for 43 in 18 overs and Manik Gupta claimed 5 for 26 in 9.4

Haryana battle to draw against Maharashtra

Sports

Dec 112012

Uttar Pradesh 548 for 8 dec (Dagar 116, Alam 100, Kaif 85, Chawla 85) and 175 for 3 (Raina 105*) drew with Vidarbha 308 (Badani 76)Scorecard

Uttar Pradesh’s match against Vidarbha ended in an expected draw, but not before UP secured three points for the first-innings lead to end the round on top of the Group B points table. Vidarbha had begun the day on 237 for 6, still playing their first innings, in reply to UP’s mammoth 548. Hemang Badani, who was unbeaten on 69 overnight, could add only seven more runs to his score as Vidarbha were bowled out for 308. Piyush Chawla, who was picked in the India Test team for the Nagpur Test against England, claimed No. 10 Sandeep Singh as his first victim of the match, finishing with figures of 32.3-2-108-1. Captain Ranjit Paradkar, who had injured himself while fielding, did not bat at all.

Despite taking a 240-run lead, Suresh Raina chose not to enforce the follow-on, and then came out to open for UP. While UP lost their other opener, Tanmay Srivastava for a duck, Raina went on to score 105 not out before play ended with UP on 175 for 3.

Haryana 257 (Yadav 63) and 255 for 7 (Sunny 54) drew with Maharashtra 540 for 8 dec (Atitkar 190, Jadhav 109, Bawne 86)Scorecard

Haryana batted out 116 overs in their second-innings in their second innings to successfully draw their match against Maharashtra in the game that pitted the bottom-rung teams of the group against each other. Haryana began the day on 75 for 2, 208 runs behind Maharashtra. Overnight batsman Sunny Singh went on to make a half-century, the only one of the innings, but the rest of the line-up too contributed cameos to keep Haryana afloat. All the batsmen who batted on the day got into double digits, right down to No. 9 Mohit Sharma. At stumps, Haryana were 28 behind Maharashtra, but importantly only seven down.

Karnataka 192 (Binny 61, Awana 5-81) and 475 for 9 dec (Binny 85, Uthappa 81, Gautam 71) beat Delhi 258 (Awana 74, Rawal 48, Sharath 4-52) and 250 (Manhas 80, Bhatia 63) by 159 runsScorecard

The wait lasted five games, as Karnataka recorded their first outright win to spark life into an underwhelming Ranji season. Only two results were realistic going into the final day, as Delhi, set an improbable 410, were left fighting to save the match after losing three in a hurry the previous evening. Karnataka were held up by a century stand from the experienced due of Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia, but the wicket of Manhas opened the floodgates as Karnataka wrapped up the game by 159 runs not long after tea.

Read the full match report here.

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