Saurashtra eye Karnataka upset
A round-up of the third day of Group B matches in the eighth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy
ESPNcricinfo staff
01-Dec-2016
File photo - Kamlesh Makvana snared three wickets to leave Karnataka tottering after conceding a big first-innings lead • K Sivaraman
Bottom-placed Saurashtra's spinners took the team close to an outright win against table-toppers Karnataka in Patiala. Offspinner Kamlesh Makvana and left-arm spinner Jay Chauhan took five wickets between them as Karnataka ended the day with a lead of just nine runs.
Saurashtra had ended the second day on 297 for 6, having already taken the first-innings lead after bowling Karnataka out for 200. Abrar Kazi, the left-arm spinner, wiped out the lower order to finish with 4 for 83 as Saurashtra were bowled out for 359. Prerak Mankad, who had raised his maiden first-class century overnight, finished with 126.
Karnataka struggled early in their second innings, and were reduced to 27 for 2 in the eighth over before a third-wicket stand of 110 between Kaunain Abbas and Manish Pandey lifted them out of trouble. Their association ended with Pandey's dismissal for 58. Stuart Binny and CM Gautam fell cheaply after that, but Abbas stayed not out on 62, and along with Shreyas Gopal ensured Karnataka avoided further damage. The pair took Karnataka to 168 for 5 at stumps.
Assam put up a much-improved batting performance in their second innings against Jharkhand, but were still under the pump in Vizianagaram. Assam had been bowled out for 126 at the end of the second day, in response to Jharkhand's 316. Starting their second innings on the third day after being asked to follow on, they made 269 for 5 courtesy opener Rishav Das' maiden first-class century and Sibsankar Roy's unbeaten 80.
Rishav and Sibsankar put on 157 for the second wicket before the former was stumped off left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem for 113. Assam then lost quick wickets, with new-ball bowler Ajay Yadav dismissing Amit Verma and Kunal Saikia cheaply, and Amit Sinha going back to a run out. Assam finished with a lead of 79 and half their side left.
Rain wiped out the third day's play between Vidarbha and Delhi in Chennai. Delhi have already taken the first-innings lead, having ended the second day on 250 for 8 in response to Vidarbha's 183.