Nine wickets for 48 runs: Gujarat bundle Karnataka for 103 to claim six-run win in a Ranji Trophy nail-biter

Prasidh Krishna pursed his lips. Without even having to look back at the stumps, the Karnataka number 11 knew he’d been cleaned up. The Gujarat players on the field couldn’t resist the wild celebrations that followed as the visiting skipper Mayank Agarwal stood by the boundary with a wry smile on his face. He’d scored a century in the first innings and stitched together a partnership that took his team halfway through the line in the second, only for tide to turn in the home side’s favor, and how?

In what was the first thriller of the Indian domestic red ball season, Gujarat folded Karnataka for 103 runs – when they needed 110 to win – on the last day of the Pool C match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to claim a famous win.

Gujarat Win 🙌

What a match. What a fightback. What a finish! 🔥🔥

They bowl Karnataka out for 103 and successfully defend 109 in the fourth innings.@IDFCFIRSTBank | #RanjiTrophy | #GUJvKAR

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/Hguuh0FJFo pic.twitter.com/dHdn6CqS40

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) January 15, 2024

The day started out with Karnataka halting Gujarat at 109 in their second innings. Having scored 374 runs in their first innings, the target seemed like a regulation job for the visitors until left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai gave it a whirl.

Despite Karnataka halfway through to the total – 55/1 – the 23-year-old ran riot in the second session of the day that saw wickets fall like ninepins and Desai end with figures of 7/42 and the player of the match award. Only three Karnataka batters – Agarwal (19), Devdutt Padikkal (31) and Shubhang Hegde (27) – were able to register scores in double figures, accounting for 77 off the team’s 103 runs.

The remainder of the three wickets – including the last one – had been picked up by the right-arm off break bowler – Rinkesh Vaghela.

Earlier, Karnataka had won the toss and opted to bowl first. Having arrived in Ahmedabad on the back of a win against Punjab in Hubli, the Karnataka seamers – led by Koushik Vasuki, who’d claimed a 7-fer on the first matchday – dismissed the home side for 264.

Having gone on to secure a 110-run lead in the first innings, Karnataka did even better with the ball in the second innings to remove Gujarat for 219.

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With two wins in as many games, Gujarat sit atop the Group C whilst even after a defeat, Karnataka occupy the third spot owing to a healthy net run rate.

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