Day 3, Ranji Trophy final, Karnataka Vs Mumbai
By Vikram Afzulpurkar
Karnataka ended the day with their tails up by taking the last session of Day 3 with a stoic batting partnership. They're not out of the woods at 140 odd for 3, chasing 338 to edge out Mumbai for the title.
Hero Pandey
Manish Pandey has stroked a fluent half century, completely contrasting with any other individual innings in the match - almost a run a ball, striking many boundaries and chanceless. G Satish must equally be commended for the support - how else would it have been possible for Pandey to finish his backlift in a flourish and score boundaries with the gaps he found?
Brilliant Mumbai batting and spectacular Manish
Resuming at the overnight 108 for 5, a doughtily fought landmark from 50 for 5 by the Nayar-Kulkarni combine, the pair took their partnership to almost a hundred. Definitely a frustrating affair for the perservering Karnataka bowlers until Manish Pandey who was one of the many felons that had dropped half-chances until then took a catch that cannot get any better than this. There may be catches in the history or future of the game that will be great but will have to share the number 1 space with this one. Hence the expression "a catch as good as any" - As Nayar attempted to go aerial with spinner Sunil Joshi at long on, Pandey started to move towards the ball that was descending but well out of his reach and flinging his body at least ten feet in a dive, enabled wrist extension that helped him grab the chance cleanly. Grey-haired commentators and ex test cricketers immediately tried to compare it with catches in history, Milind Rege, former India player, talking about John Dyson making such a catch in the 80s and of course the name of Jonty Rhodes came up more than once. The talk on this catch will continue long after the match is over.
A micro-moment of cynicism against Mumbai
Depending on what kind of a cynic you are of Mumbai's strategy, you might say, this was a mini-turning point considering that Nayar had grafted so meticulously.... and to give it away with an aerial shot! But wait, his shot can be justified with many reasons: he was playing Joshi comfortably, he wanted to clear the close in fielders so that the batters could play for singles and twos more effectively, the new ball would be due in about 20 overs, and lastly that it was reasonably safe to hit it where he did (remember, Pandey 'created' the catch). So, only in the context that Karnataka are now looking much better at 140-odd for 3, and with you being a cynic of Mumbai's strategy can you say that the stroke was not justified.
Powar, Kulkarni build again
But anyhow, there was soon to be another frustrating stand put up by Kulkarni and Powar that added runs and made the Karnataka team looked ragged when Mumbai were 8-down. Kulkarni finally perished slashing at the new ball to be caught at gully and this time even cynics have to accept that with only two wickets in hand, the batsmen were justified in picking balls to score runs off.
Slower pitch
The Mumbai cynic then would be somebody who had read well into the pitch, expecting it to slow down on Day 3 and aid Karnataka in a chase, while all were going gaga that even 250 would be a very difficult total to chase, that too in the last innings and that too in a final. All justified in the context of how the pitch seamed on Day 1 and Day 2, but then there were probably a few connosieurs who were conjecturing Day- 3-onward pitch behaviour. It seems to be playing easier.
Karnataka cynics
Karnataka cynics will feel the lame dismissal of Robin Uthappa has robbed them of one of their top two batsmen - it was a regulation away-going ball outside off stump that Robin followed after he was committed to the stroke. Nothing very lame about that except that if you feel the pitch is slowing down, then Robin, or any other top batsman should have eschewed such chasing for the stakes now involved. About their other two dismissals, wild card Gautam who opened played a hard square cut in the first over by Agarkar to give a catch in the gully, while gritty Pawan was trapped in front by a sharp inswinger. Expect for Pandey's brilliant catching effort, Karnataka fans will feel many chances were dropped which would be determining factors in a final of this calibre. The stands of Kulkarni-Nayar and Kulkarni-Powar were so frustrating, one must feel that there must exist some solution in strategy or fielding that escaped them, so what if the Mumbaiites should dogged grit as they famously do.
Karnataka should compliment themselves and keep going
Three hundred and thirty eight is achievable by Karnataka on this possibly slowing pitch, considering their current position of 140-odd for 3 but it is a mountain. Manish Pandey shows no signs of slowing his scoring rate with the kind of bowling being dished out to him. It's possible the Mumbai bowlers are baiting him. Satish at the other end seems the ideal foil and is defending dourly as he should, while seizing the loose ball for runs. It's going to be interesting to see if there is a sudden character change in Pandey and he starts to graft, based on advice from his camp. At least Pandey and Satish have pulled the chance for victory out of the realms of the impossibility that it seemed to be heading towards after three wickets fell relatively early. Even if coasting to the score easily, the hosts must be wary of Mumbai's ability to pull a rabbit out of the hat.
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