Ranji Trophy: Karnataka’s late declaration costs outright win as Saurashtra hold on for draw

Rajkot, Oct 18 Karnataka’s reluctance to declare early denied them a potential victory as their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match against Saurashtra ended in a draw on the fourth and final day here on Saturday. Saurashtra finished at 128 for five in their second innings on an uneven surface when stumps were drawn, holding on for three crucial points.

Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal once again proved to be Karnataka’s standout performer, taking three wickets in the second innings to complete a brilliant match haul of 11 wickets. His control, flight, and variations kept Saurashtra under constant pressure on a pitch that increasingly assisted the spinners.

Chasing an improbable 229 in just one and a half sessions, Saurashtra found themselves in trouble early at 43 for four in the 13th over. The track’s variable bounce and turn made batting a challenging task, and Shreyas exploited those conditions expertly. His delivery to dismiss Ansh Gosai perfectly showcased his mastery — a sharp googly that zipped through after pitching, sneaking past the right-hander’s static defence and crashing into the stumps.

However, Saurashtra’s resistance came through a gritty partnership between Gajjar Sammar (43 not out off 110 balls) and concussion substitute Jay Gohil (41 off 73 balls). The pair added a vital 81 runs for the fifth wicket, batting together for 26 overs to frustrate Karnataka’s bowlers and ensure the hosts secured a hard-fought draw.

Karnataka, on the other hand, were left to rue their decision to continue batting deep into the second session despite having a lead of over 180 runs. A bold declaration at that point could have given them an additional hour to attack Saurashtra’s fragile top order, but the visitors instead chose to extend their cushion with extra runs.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka’s second innings featured brisk batting, with skipper Mayank Agarwal leading from the front with a composed 64, while wicketkeeper-batter KL Shrijith added a quickfire 31 off 30 balls.

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