Mumbai skipper rues lack of experience in bowling department after losing to Karnataka by an innnings and 20 runs in Ranji Trophy quarter-final
Despite beating 41-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai by an innings and 20 runs on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final yesterday, Karnataka was in no mood to celebrate the victory. The southern stalwarts took the field again and engaged in a game of football at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium in Jamtha yesterday. Mumbai, who collapsed for 173 in the first innings, managed to put 377 on the board in the second dig. Suryakumar Yadav, the team's vice-captain finally got his first century of the season, but his 108 off 180 balls (16x4, 1x6) could not help his side avoid an embarrassing defeat.
Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar (left) celebrates the dismissal of his opposite number, Aditya Tare on Day Four of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur yesterday. Pic/PTI
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Yadav, who moved into the 90s with an on-drive, got to his three-figure mark with a flick off leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal. Siddhesh Lad (31) failed to play a big innings, succumbing behind the wicket to Vinay Kumar's away going delivery. Mumbai skipper Aditya Tare, who scored four and a duck in the match, felt it was the first innings debacle that caused Mumbai's exit from the Ranji Trophy. "Every defeat hurts and that's something which stays with you forever," Tare said.
Aditya Tare
The skipper underlined the absence of injured pacer Shardul Thakur and the inexperienced bowling attack he had to cope with. Tare said: "I think barring Dhawal (Kulkarni) four of our bowlers did not have the experience of even 10 games put together. So unless we have a perfect game, it will be very difficult against top teams especially Karnataka which is very experienced. If you don't have experience, you need to come out and play your best cricket which we failed to do," Tare added. For Karnataka, off-spinner K Gowtham claimed six for 104 and with 34 scalps, he is now his team's highest wicket-taker. Captain Vinay Kumar, the man who destroyed Mumbai with six for 34 on Day One, claimed two for 44 in the second innings. The skipper expected a better fight from Mumbai in the second innings. "We thought they might come hard at us. But when we saw their approach, we thought we shouldn't give away too many runs and we need to just concentrate on bowling in the right areas," said Kumar.
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