Karnataka were leading by 189 runs with five wickets in hand at stumps on the second day at the Wankhede stadium. After a flurry of wickets (14 wickets) on the first day a semblance of normalcy was restored on the second day as Karun Nair dropped anchor and ensured Karnataka a first innings lead. He was ably supported in the endeavour by Lokesh Rahul, who returned to bat on the first day. Scoring diligently the pair had taken Karnataka to 323 for five at the end of day’s play.
Earlier in the day Karnataka lost Abhimanyu Mithun in the first hour of the morning. But that was the only wicket that the defending champions lost during the day as they amassed 278 runs.
After resuming on the overnight score of 45 for 4 Mithun was trapped leg before by Malolan Rangarajan leaving Karnataka on 84 for five. Scoring at a quicker pace, he had until then contributed 39 off 41 balls. Rahul, who had retired hurt on the first day, returned to join forces with Nair in an effort to salvage the innings.
The pair bided their time at the crease as they stitched a partnership. Playing patiently they blunted the L Balaji- led attack to add to the score line. Inching forward they leveled scores with TN by lunch.
Watchfully they resumed to negotiate the bowlers who were hitting the deck hard relentlessly. They were content to leave the deliveries as they toiled to consolidate their stand and build a lead. With a boundary over the slips Nair had seized a first innings lead on the fourth ball after lunch.
Both batsmen reached their half-centuries in the second session as they steadily added to the score. Diligently they took the side to tea at 215 for 5.
Early in the last session of the day they brought up 150 of the partnership as they tipped the balance back in their side’s favour. Both batsmen inched towards their centuries in the final session. Rahul was the first to reach the three-figure mark. He got to there with two runs off Vijay Shankar behind square-leg.
The new ball was taken but it did nothing for TN as the batsmen had settled into their rhythm and continued to chip at the bowling at a steady pace.
Nair too reached his hundred soon after. The middle-order batsman, who had played a gutsy and patient knock, ran three to get there. He had come in to bat when the side had just 16 runs on the board and the top-order was back in the pavilion. But he had held the innings together and watchfully kept the side in the reckoning.
It was a massive rebuilding effort by the two young batsmen that pulled the side out of a rabbit hole.
Brief scores:
End of Day 1: TN 1st inn 134 all out in 62.4 overs (A Mukund 35, Vinay Kumar 5/34, A Mithun 3/54); Karnataka 1st inn 45/4 in 14 overs (A Mithun 14*, L Balaji 3/10)
End of Day 2: Karnataka 1st inn 323/5 in 99 overs (Karun Nair 130*, KL Rahul 131*)
