Ranji Trophy - Super League 2009-2010 - Discussion thread

[msb1991]

I had been to stadium to watch Karnataka vs UP match. Karnataka had a decent day but they are not safe yet. RP singh bowled a dream of a spell in which he claimed two wickets in same over. Chawla also bowled well , his line and length was immaculate.UP adopted negative tactics against dravid, bowling leg stump line with all the fielders on on side. UP bowlers never allowed Karnataka batsmen to get away bowling good line and length. Manish really impressed me with his shot making. He is never afraid of taking the bowlers on and it paid off. He hit 3 fours to Shukla in an over. But at the end he played one shot too many losing his wicket at the end to PK. If he is little patient, it could've been a near perfect day for Karnataka. Now task is cut out for Karnataka batsmen , they should try building partnership and Shouldn't go to any extravaganza shots . Rahul is still there and Karnataka has two genuine batsmen to come. If karnataka plays sensibly in the morning session tomorrow without losing too many wickets , they can bat UP out of the match.

Top report mate, thanks for that.

[Karan114]

I had been to stadium to watch Karnataka vs UP match. Karnataka had a decent day but they are not safe yet. RP singh bowled a dream of a spell in which he claimed two wickets in same over. Chawla also bowled well , his line and length was immaculate.UP adopted negative tactics against dravid, bowling leg stump line with all the fielders on on side. UP bowlers never allowed Karnataka batsmen to get away bowling good line and length. Manish really impressed me with his shot making. He is never afraid of taking the bowlers on and it paid off. He hit 3 fours to Shukla in an over. But at the end he played one shot too many losing his wicket at the end to PK. If he is little patient, it could've been a near perfect day for Karnataka. Now task is cut out for Karnataka batsmen , they should try building partnership and Shouldn't go to any extravaganza shots . Rahul is still there and Karnataka has two genuine batsmen to come. If karnataka plays sensibly in the morning session tomorrow without losing too many wickets , they can bat UP out of the match.

Nice one, thanks

[saneindian]

Ishant bowled well in the other semifinal. Was bowling well within himself, but was hitting 135 kmph easily and bowling to a very tight line and length. Mumbai have the upper hand after day 1 with that amazing 100 by Nayar and the quickfire 50 by Agarkar.

[Chandan]

Ranji trophy semi-final, DAY ONE Round Up Mumbai high after initial struggle due to Nayar's ton in Ranji Trophy semifinal against Delhi, Day one Scorecard The showdown between the old foes of the National cricket championship subsided in a matter of time at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday. It could have been an engaging battle. The finesse of Wasim Jaffer against the pace of Ishant Sharma. But half-an-hour into the Ranji Trophy semifinal, the lanky pacer snuffed out chances of any treat. For all the excitement caused by Ishant Sharma’s splendid fast bowling in two bursts in the crucial first session of the Ranji Trophy semifinal, Delhi faced the grim reality of a remarkable riposte by the home team. Mumbai's dilemma ahead of the game Most things in life come with an element of risk. And cricket is no different. A spinner tossing the ball up has to contend with the danger of batsman coming down the track and hitting him for a six; similarly every time a batsman sets himself up to hit a reverse sweep, the risk being foxed is immense. But then life and cricket will be so much boring without that the heady high of a risk. Yesterday at the Cricket Cricket Club of India, when the umpires announced the end of Day One’s play in the Ranji Trophy semi-final between the hosts Mumbai and Delhi, Abhishek Nayar was 111 not out and Mumbai were comfortably placed at 329 for four. The Mumbai team management had taken a big risk to play Nayar, who had not fully recovered from the injured right wrist, things could have been pretty different. Mumbai had been reduced to 3-86 when Nayar walked in and as it turned out, his innings was incredibly vital. As Mumbai coach Praveen Amre told Mumbai Mirror, “Nayar was at the National Cricket Academy undergoing rehabilitation when the Indian team for the tri-series in Bangladesh was announced and Rohit Sharma was picked for the tour. I knew I had to get Nayar into the team for the semis. The Mumbai team management requested the NCA authorities to release him for the game. “We even made him play one Times Shield game. Though he didn’t get many runs, we were satisfied with his match fitness. I and the captain then pushed for his selection in the fifteen. I had faith in his attitude and knew that he will deliver at the crucial moment. He did exactly that and our risk paid off today.” Tough Start Mumbai's worst fears seemed to be coming true when they lost the top three before lunch after electing to bat. Captain Wasim Jaffer had promoted himself to the openers slot to tackle Delhi’s bowling spearhead Ishant Sharma but that move back-fired when Sharma trapped him leg-before in the sixth over of the day. Ishant had started the proceedings brilliantly, ripping the heart out of Mumbai's batting in the morning session. First, a fuller length ball trapped skipper Wasim Jaffer as the opener tried to play across. A similar delivery sent Ajinkya Rahane's off-stump cartwheeling. The No.3 bat has been the top-scorer this season, and looked in great touch before he was sent packing by the beanpole bowler. Sahil Kukreja (29) once again was not able to make the start count when he edged Parvinder Awana to wicket-keeper Puneet Bisht. But the biggest blow was delivered by Ishant when he disturbed Ajinkya Rahane’s (29) furniture. It was the nature of wicket and Delhi’s new-ball attack that kept the Mumbai top order on its toes and caused their dismissal. Setting up Jaffer with a few short balls and a bouncer, Ishant provided the breakthrough tempting the Mumbai skipper to play across to a fuller length delivery. Jaffer was trapped in front. Thereafter summoned for his second spell, Ishant knocked back Rahane’s off stump, once again inviting the right-hander to work the ball on the on side. Whereas left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan struggled to sustain the pressure — he was penalised nine times for overstepping the popping crease, Parwinder Awana generated pace and extra bounce that eventually ended the 83-minute gritty stay of Kukreja. The teams took lunch at 100 for three with Delhi seemingly in a position to dictate, but Nayar’s three boundary hits off Mishra and Mithun Manhas and a flurry of shots and Khanvilkar’s growing confidence and smart rotation of the strike hinted elements of a strong counter from the fourth wicket pair. Big Blunder Mumbai were 100 for three at lunch and another wicket would have exposed their long but useful tail. But this is where Delhi made a big blunder. When team came out after lunch, Ishhant chose to sit in the dressing room for 20-odd minutes. This meant that according to the rules he couldn’t bowl for an equal amount of time after he came back on. Delhi coach Vijay Dahiya tried to explain, “We wanted to use him after tea when the ball moves a bit.” The absence of experienced spinners — Delhi chose left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra ahead of leg-spinner Chaitanya Nanda — affected Delhi from making adequate use of the Brabourne surface that provided lift and carry right through the day. But by then Nayar and Onkar Khanvilkar had launched a counter-attack. Nayar forced rookie 17-year-old left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra out of the attack with two huge sixes. Ishant’s absence and Mishra’s failure made Delhi skipper Rajat Bhatia rely on his part-timers bowlers and the Mumbai duo feasted on them. As Nayar said, “I think we attacked well. The pitch got better as the day passed. We put the pressure right back on them by hitting fours and sixes right after the lunch. It was a planned counter attack. we complimented each other well.” Abhishek Nayar exorcised the ghosts in his right wrist and flaunted it with pride — besides shrieking and jumping with joy — after completing a counter-attacking hundred later on Day One of the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Delhi at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday. A little later, he clung on to the same part and writhed in pain but that wasn’t a hindrance. The damage was done and Delhi were all but dusted. But for a dropped catch by Mithn Manhas at slips when on 57, Khanvilkar’s innings was superb. He was out against the run of play, stumped on the bowling of Bhatia. Nayar though completed his ton with the help of 8 fours and 3 sixes. As he said, “For me the turning point was going to the NCA, training hard and coming back fit. I have played good knocks before but I will rate this highly because I was making a comeback from a tough situation where a lot of people were not sure if I was fit. I will thank the NCA staff, coach Praveen Amre and captain who pushed hard for me to be included in the team. Not many people would have backed me after my show thus far in the Ranji Trophy.” Nayar and Khanvilkar kept it simple by going for the ones and twos. Mumbai took lunch with exactly 100 on the board. No one knows what they — Nayar in particular — ate but the duo just switched gears from one to four in no time during the second session. Nayar simply tore into left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra by clobbering him for consecutive sixes down the ground. One of them hit the fibre glass frame of the famous CCI library on the second floor and it’s apt to say that the left-hander was as foolproof as the frame. The slim and trim Mishra, who took a five-for against Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinal tie, had been picked ahead of leg-spinner Chetanya Nanda but all that confidence he garnered must have gone down the drain. Meanwhile, Ajit Agarkar bid his ‘fever’ goodbye and batted like a man possessed. So fluent was his stroke-making that the few hundred supporters were delighted in the last hour or so. His 84-ball unbeaten 57 rubbed salt into Delhi’s wounds. The tired Delhi bowlers were hit for nine boundaries and as Dahiya said, ‘Mumbai are now sitting pretty.’ Nayar said he wanted to prove a point with this game. “The captain and the coach showed confidence in me and I didn’t want to disappoint them. If you see, in those five matches, I was never out playing a rash stroke. So, in a way I was curbing myself. Today I played my natural game and that worked for me,” Nayar said. Skipper Wasim Jaffer too appreciated the timely ton by his out-of-form all-rounder. “He is a big match player and that’s why he was included in the playing XI today. I am very happy the way he played under pressure,” said Jaffer.

[Chandan]

Ranji trophy semi-final, DAY ONE Round Up Karnataka top order flatters to deceive Scorecard Manish Pandey’s dismissal to a loose stroke ten minutes before stumps redressed the balance to a great degree, but Karnataka still ended day one of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttar Pradesh with their noses marginally in front. On a characteristically slow, low surface at the Chinnaswamy stadium, Pandey’s brilliance and Rahul Dravid’s watchfulness appeared to have steadied the ship after Rudra Pratap Singh’s twin strikes in one over returned Uttar Pradesh back into the game in the post-lunch session when Pandey (66) fell to the second new ball. What could have been a most satisfying day for the hosts Karnataka was thus significantly downgraded as they finished Sunday on 255 for four, slow progress undoubtedly but necessitated by a pitch that was by no means a stroke-maker’s ally. It could have been a near-perfect Sunday for Karnataka. However its young batsmen laid the foundation but failed to build on and at close on day one of the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Uttar Pradesh here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Karnataka skipper Rahul Dravid (37 n.o.) was in his familiar position of lending hope. Karnataka scored 255 for four in 95 overs after Dravid opted to bat on winning the toss and found partial vindication in the assuredness of Robin Uthappa (32), K.B. Pawan (52, 167b, 7x4), Ganesh Satish (49) and Manish Pandey (66, 107b, 11x4). The start was steady and Uthappa relished the deliveries homing into his pads as R.P. Singh and Praveen Kumar briefly erred in direction. Even the sedate Pawan, after a few nicks off R.P. Singh and Praveen Kumar fortuitously falling short of the slip cordon, flicked and drove with precision. Uthappa, yet to register a Ranji century this season, seemed in fine fettle but failed to resist the sweep against left-arm spinner Praveen Gupta. At 42 for one, Satish and Pawan continued undeterred and displayed poise during their 95-run second-wicket partnership. Satish used his feet to the spinners and seemed set for the long haul when he became one among R.P. Singh’s twin-strikes post-lunch. Only Pandey of all batsmen on view seemed to have the track’s measure. Not for the first time this season, he walked into a mini-crisis; again, not for the first time, he batted on unflustered, untouched by whatever pressure there might have been in the company of his skipper, who won what could yet be a crucial toss. Now, the onus is on Dravid (37 batting) to make sure his three-pronged pace attack – Karnataka kept faith in S Arvind – and Sunil Joshi’s left-arm spin have enough runs to attack with. Peach of a delivery R.P. Singh had Pawan nibbling at one that seamed away and in the same over, he squared up Satish with a peach of a delivery as wicket-keeper Amir Khan relished the two catches. At 138 for three, Karnataka regained its breath thanks to Dravid’s solidity and Pandey’s flair while the duo constructed their 108-run fourth-wicket partnership. Barring Rudra Pratap, outstanding during an extended mid-afternoon spell of 8-1-15-2, there was neither bite nor penetration in the Uttar Pradesh attack. There weren’t any freebies, but there was no sustained pressure either apart from a brief passage of play when KB Pawan and Ganesh Satish departed within five deliveries of each other. Dravid evaded R.P. Singh’s bouncers, offered a straight bat and did not hesitate to drive and cut. At the other end, Pandey refused to be bogged down and wrung three fours out of a Praveen Gupta over. A pulled four off Parvinder Singh brought up his fifty that kept the few fans in good cheer until he fatally drove at Praveen Kumar’s delivery way outside the off-stump. Robin Uthappa began in blazing fashion, repeatedly walking across his stumps and playing Rudra Pratap in particular through the on-side with style and effect. Having warmed up with a punch off the hips through mid-wicket off the first ball of the match, Uthappa continued to pepper the leg-side boundary even as Pawan was content to play himself in when Mohammad Kaif turned to Praveen Gupta. An ill-advised lap-sweep in the left-arm spinner’s second over had Uthappa palpably in front, but Pawan and Satish were untroubled during their 95-run (132m, 239b) second-wicket alliance. Like Uthappa, Satish tended to favour the on-side while Pawan drove sublimely down the ground to put Karnataka in the driver’s seat as Praveen Kumar failed to make an impact and Bhuvneshwar Kumar was even less of a threat. Leggie Piyush Chawla bottled one end up during a 22-over spell during which he conceded just 41, but it was left to Rudra Pratap to provide the spark of inspiration UP so badly needed. First, the left-arm paceman caught Pawan’s edge with the angle, then produced a peach from round the stumps that straightened and drew Satish into another edge, both neatly pouched by Amir Khan. Pandey survived a huge leg before shout off Rudra Pratap, but put his head down and stabilised the innings alongside Dravid. The duo had added 273 in Meerut to haul Karnataka out of trouble at 27 for three, but without putting on as many, they again involved themselves in another crucial stand. Dravid was the bedrock, the immovable object to Pandey’s irresistible force. The former Indian captain played some attractive strokes of his own, but pulled back as his junior partner exploded once he had got his eye in. The slowness of the track hardly impacted his timing, the stand-out shot a wonderful cover-drive off a Parvinder Singh slower delivery when he held his stroke and then hit through the line. Already worth 108 (145m, 217b) and looking good for more, the fourth-wicket association ended when Pandey flashed loosely at a wide Praveen delivery in the penultimate over and put Kaif at second slip in business. The initiative somewhat lost, but then again, Pandey had played a big role in snatching the initiative in the first place! With national selection committee chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Narendra Hirwani watching the proceedings, the 20-year-old could have done well to play out the last three overs of the day. But, he chose to throw away all the good work he had done through the season. But as long as he lasted, he made Kaif's men fret, bringing back memories of his imperious 194 in the Super League match at Meerut. Karnataka needs to tide past Monday’s morning session and rustle up the runs on a pitch with its odd streak of low bounce while Mohammad Kaif’s men will hope that the new-ball, just five overs old, and the nip in the winter air will aid the R.P. Singh-Praveen Kumar combine.

[urbestfriend]

Karnataka chipping along nicely here with dravid set to score another century - 365/5 :two_thumbs_up::two_thumbs_up:

[urbestfriend]

Dravid century :hatsoff:

[TheWall]

Dravid century!!!:yay::two_thumbs_up:

[rkt.india]

Ishant bowled well in the other semifinal. Was bowling well within himself, but was hitting 135 kmph easily and bowling to a very tight line and length. Mumbai have the upper hand after day 1 with that amazing 100 by Nayar and the quickfire 50 by Agarkar.

what were the speeds of parvinder awana

[jusarrived]

Karnataka 408/6 v U. Pradesh Mumbai 446/8 v Delhi Looks like a Kar vs Mum final

[urbestfriend]

Karnataka 408/6 v U. Pradesh Mumbai 446/8 v Delhi Looks like a Kar vs Mum final

Not so sure about Karnataka..Bangalore pitch is slow and doesn't offer anything to bowlers. remember last time both teams met in Bangalore even score of 511 couldn't get first innings lead. Karnataka bowlers have to bowl well because UP bats very deep.

[jusarrived]

Not so sure about Karnataka..Bangalore pitch is slow and doesn't offer anything to bowlers. remember last time both teams met in Bangalore even score of 511 couldn't get first innings lead. Karnataka bowlers have to bowl well because UP bats very deep.

Karnatak has a much better attack this time though & the pitch is not good for scoring , so i will be surprised if UP can get a lead here .

[Sachinism]

Dravid has moved onto 164* 495/7 Mumbai 500ao

[Sachinism]

Delhi in trouble 35/2 Karnataka not losing wickets 549/7 Dravid 190* Joshi 35*

[urbestfriend]

Dravid double century :hatsoff: torturing bhaiyas :hysterical:

[cowboysfan]

namma wall:hatsoff:

[urbestfriend]

Karnataka 575/7 declared , UP lost 2 wickets for 11 runs in 7 overs :hysterical:

[Shane]

Don't worry the cowlasher army will be left naked by UP phhhaaaasht bowlers - I am just worried about Dravid :((

:hysterical:

[cowboysfan]

we are going to see mumbai vs karnataka final:eyedance:

[Dravid]

dravidddddddd:two_thumbs_up: :yay::yay::yay::yay: