Defending champions Haryana were defeated by Karnataka in a decisive five-wicket victory in Vadodara, allowing Karnataka to clinch their fifth participation in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Abhilash Shetty’s outstanding bowling effort provided the foundation for the victory. He took four wickets and limited Haryana to a modest score of 237/9, establishing the foundation for the victory.
In response, the top order of Karnataka, which was headed by Devdutt Padikkal (86) and Smaran Ravichandran (76), made the chase a breeze, guaranteeing that their side quickly advanced to the final.
Despite a Strong Beginning, Haryana’s Innings Had a Dramatic Collapse
As soon as they were allowed to bat first at the Kotambi Stadium, Haryana got off to a strong start, reaching a comfortable 102/1 at one point. For more amazing cricket updates join betpro exchange.
A strong partnership was established between Himanshu Rana (43), the pillar of the innings, and Ankit Kumar (41), who supported the innings.
On the other hand, the momentum switched abruptly when Shreyas Gopal of Karnataka broke the 70-run stand that Rana and Kumar had established between them. Haryana realized that they had lost four wickets for a total of only 27 runs due to this collapse.
Shetty, a significant character in this collapse, played a crucial part by getting the first wicket and following it up with a double strike in the same over, which resulted in the dismissal of Nishant Sindhu and Parth Vats.
After a brief period of fight from the middle order, which included a late unbeaten stand of 39 runs between Anuj Thakral (23* off 15 balls) and Amit Rana (15* off 16 balls), Haryana was only able to muster 237/9 by the time their allotted 50 overs concluded.
Ultimately, Shetty finished with an outstanding performance of four wickets for thirty-four, while Prasidh Krishna and Gopal each produced two wickets for forty and two for thirty-six, respectively.
During the post-match presentation, Ankit Kumar, who represents Haryana, conceded that the total was “20 to 30 runs short,” reflecting the impact of the collapse in the middle of the innings.
Padikkal and Ravichandran Are the Ones Who Led Karnataka to Victory, Thanks to Their Efforts
During the first over of the chase, Karnataka’s skipper and in-form hitter, Mayank Agarwal, was caught leg-before wicket for a duck by Anshul Kamboj. This hurt the team’s subsequent performance.
Aneesh KV and Padikkal, however, were able to pull Karnataka back on track by forming a key partnership of 62 runs for the second wicket. This partnership was instrumental in stabilizing the ship.
When Smaran Ravichandran joined Padikkal at the crease, the game-changing moment changed everything.
The two batters did a good job of rotating the strike and adding quick runs, which allowed them to maintain pressure on the bowlers from Haryana.
Padikkal played a calm knock, hitting eight fours and a six, while Ravichandran was the more aggressive player, hitting three sixes and three boundaries. Ravichandran was the aggressor.
The partnership between Ravichandran and Padikkal had already brought Karnataka to the verge of victory even though neither could achieve their centuries. Sindhu dismissed Ravichandran for 76, and Padikkal was out for 86.
Karnataka’s lower order produced crucial runs to see the squad through the chase even though they had it under control. Thanks to Shreyas Gopal’s unbeaten 23, Karnataka easily completed their target of 238/5 in 47.2 overs, which secured a comfortable finish to the match.
Influence of the Circumstances and Concluding Remarks
A significant contribution was made by the dew that was present under the lights during the second innings, which made it easier to bat as the match went.
Even though Haryana’s total was competitive, it was not sufficient on an improving pitch. Karnataka’s batting strength, particularly that of Padikkal and Ravichandran, proved pivotal.
As a result of this victory, Karnataka secured its place in the Vijay Hazare Trophy final, where it will compete to win the championship.
Shetty’s outstanding performance with the ball, in conjunction with his good contributions at the batting crease, made this a holistic team effort that resulted in them easily defeating the team that had previously held the title of champion.
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Only a Few Scores:
- Haryana: 237/9 (Ankit Kumar 48, Himanshu Rana 44, and Abhilash Shetty 4/34)
- Karnataka: 238/5 out of 47.2 overs (Padikkal 86, Ravichandran 76, Nishant Sindhu 2/47)
Karnataka triumphed by five wickets.
