Ranji Trophy: Karnataka cruise to a seven-wicket win over Punjab in one-sided match

NEW DELHI: In a one-sided Group C match in Hubballi on Monday, Karnataka secured a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Punjab, marking a strong start to their Ranji Trophy campaign.
Despite the efforts of bowlers Rohit Kumar (3/101) and Shubhang Hegde (3/89), who consistently took wickets, Punjab, starting the fourth and final day at 238 for 3, were ultimately bowled out for 413.
Karnataka dominated the match for a significant portion, initially dismissing Punjab for a modest 152 in the first innings and then posting a massive 514 for 8 declared in response.
In their second innings, Punjab improved, scoring 413 and reducing the lead to 362. Prabhsimran Singh's impressive 100 off 146 balls stood out in Punjab's second innings, keeping Karnataka on the field for nearly 115 overs. However, Punjab could only establish a slender 51-run overall lead.
Karnataka, in pursuit of a target, reached 52/3 to secure a substantial victory.
Gujarat beat Tamil Nadu by 111 runs
In another Group C encounter at Valsad, Gujarat dominated Tamil Nadu to secure a commanding 111-run victory, adding six points to their tally.
Tamil Nadu, facing a challenging target of 299 and resuming the fourth day at 32 for 2, were dismissed for a mere 187.
Arzan Nagwaswalla, with figures of 4/34, emerged as the standout bowler for Gujarat, while India spinner Ravi Bishnoi (1/57) also made a valuable contribution.
Despite efforts from Tamil Nadu's skipper Sai Kishore (48 off 108 balls), Baba Indrajith (39 from 89), and Pradosh Ranjan Paul (39 not out off 104), they could only delay the inevitable.
Big win for Tripura over Goa
Goa's wicketkeeper-batter Krishnamurthy Siddharth showcased a remarkable innings of 151 not out (258 balls, 23x4). However, his stellar knock ended up in vain as Tripura secured a massive 237-run victory in Agartala.
In pursuit of 500 to win, Tripura had set a challenging target by amassing 484 and declaring at 151 for 5. Despite Goa being bowled out for 135 in their first innings, they managed to post 263 in the second innings, with Siddharth's notable contribution. Nevertheless, Tripura emerged victorious in a convincing manner.
Tripura bagged six points for the win.
Chandigarh vs Railways match ends in a draw
Chandigarh earned one point and Railways got three after the two teams played out a draw in Chandigarh in another Group C match.
No play was possible on the third day of the match and when the play resumed on the final day on Monday, Chandigarh were all at sea with the bat again.
After a mere 96 in their first innings, Chandigarh were 90 for 5 in their second essay when the stumps were drawn. Railways had declared overnight at 313 for 4.
Brief Scores:
At Hubballi: Punjab 152 & 413 in 114.4 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 100, Abhishek Sharma 91) lost to Karnataka 514/8 decl & 52/3 (Ravikumar Samarth 21, Srinivas Sharath 21 not out; Prerit Dutta 2/10) by 7 wickets.
At Valsad: Gujarat 236 & 312 beat Tamil Nadu 250 & 187 (Sai Kishore 48, Baba Indrajith 39, Pradosh Ranjan Paul 39 not out; Arzan Nagwaswalla 4/34, Chintan Gaja 3/34, Priyajitsing Jadeja 2/37, Ravi Bishnoi 1/57) by 111 runs.
At Chandigarh: Chandigarh 96 & 90/5 (Kunal Mahajan 43 not out; Yuvraj Singh 2/21, Himanshu Sangwan 2/11) drew with Railways 313/4 decl.
At Agartala: Tripura 484 & 151 for 5 decl beat Goa 135 & 236 (Krishnamurthy Siddharth 151 not out; Manisankar Murasingh 3/64, Rana Dutta 3/45, Abhijit Sarkar 2/42).
(With PTI inputs)