Priyanshu Khanduri, Nikhil Gangta, Rishi Dhawan excel

Inspiring and responsible batting by opener Priyanshu Khanduri (69, 240b, 8×4), all rounder Rishi Dhawan (72 n.o, 96b, 7×4, 3×6) and middle-order batsman Nikhil Gangta (46, 103b, 5×4, 1×6), helped Himachal Pradesh to wrest the initiative at the end of the second-day’s play in the four-day Elite Group Ranji Trophy encounter against hosts Karnataka, by scoring 235/7 in 93 overs at the SDNR Wadiyar Platinum Jubilee University Grounds here on Thursday.

Himachal Pradesh gained the vital first innings lead and led by 69-runs before bad light stopped play early on the second day.

Resuming from their overnight score of 29/3, Himachal Pradesh lost Mayank Dagar (4) early off medium-pacer Abhimanyu Mithun (4/32), but some excellent rear-guard action by opener Priyanshu Khanduri and Nikhil Gangta who added 90 valuable runs for the fifth wicket enabled them to consolidate the innings. Nikhil Gangta was dismissed by left-arm spinner and Mysuru boy J.Suchith (5-122).

Fight-back by Himachal Pradesh

A painstaking knock by opener Priyanshu Khanduri (69) and  his will to graft for runs negated Karnataka bowlers’ plans for a breakthrough, but his innings helped his team’s cause. He along with an enterprising Rishi Dhawan (72 n.o) frustrated Karnataka’s bowlers, by adding a valuable 75-runs for the sixth wicket, before medium-pacer                                                                       Koushik had Khanduri snapped up R. Samarth at first slip (6-197).

Rishi Dhawan impressed by batting freely and took heavy toll of leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal and left-arm spinner J. Suchith. He scored back to back boundaries off Shreyas Gopal and hoisted the leggie over mid-wicket for a massive six. Dhawan also came down the wicket and lofted medium-pacer Prateek Jain over long-on for a huge six.

Medium-pacer V. Kosuhik was the most successful bowler for Karnataka taking 3/48. Left-arm medium-pacer Prateek Jain 2/40, A. Mithun 1/29 and left-arm spinner J. Suchith 1/52 were the other wicket-takers.

Karnataka have to toil hard and if they have to make a come back into the game have to bowl out Himachal Pradesh early on the third day and bat well in their second innings, to give them a semblance of a chance of bowling out their opponents in the second innings. An interesting day’s play is in the offing with the hosts fully keyed up to come back into the game.

Brief Scores

Karnataka 166 in 67.2 overs (Karun Nair 81, Shreyas Gopal 27, A.Mithun 21, Kanwar Abhinay 5/37) Vs Himachal Pradesh 235/7 in 93 overs (Rishi Dhawan 72 n.o, Priyanshu Khanduri 69, Nikhil Gangta 3/48, V. Koushik 3/48, Prateek Jain 2/40).