Karnataka’s time running out amid continued rain

NT Bengaluru: Despite an early start to the day, Karnataka will be frustrated as Day 2 was truncated by rain in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match against Kerala in Alur on Saturday. Kerala, who resumed at 88 without loss, saw its openers fall in quick succession. Koushik V was finally rewarded for his efforts, dismissing Rohan Kunnumal for 63, while Vyshak Vijaykumar trapped Vathsal LBW in the following over. Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal made a solid start but was interrupted by bad light.

Despite overcast conditions, Shreyas Gopal marked his return by taking his first wicket. Baba Aparajith’s attempted shot to mid-on was brilliantly caught by Vijayakumar. Sanju Samson, coming off a record-breaking performance, wasted no time and launched Shreyas Gopal for a six over mid-wicket. Vidyadhar Patil, replacing Prasidh Krishna, struggled to contain Samson, who played a sharp cut through covers and a straight drive to the boundary, troubling Agarwal’s side. Although Karnataka’s plan for an early breakthrough worked, this was a stage that required patience. However, there was little time for Samson and Kerala captain Sachin Baby to form a meaning- ful partnership, as rain lashed the ground an hour and a half after lunch.

Post-rain conditions at the Alur-1 Ground made further play unlikely. By 3:30 pm, the umpires called stumps. For Karnataka, the scenario echoed their match in Indore, where heavy rain and poor drainage at the Holkar Stadium resulted in just a solitary point against Madhya Pradesh. Another single point from this challenging group will do little to boost Karnataka’s chances of reaching the quarterfinals.