NAGPUR: Vidarbha were inching towards their most embarrassing defeat in List-A cricket on Sunday. Pursuing a 315-run target, all their 7 main batters were back in the hut with just 51 on the board within 15 overs. It looked like Karnataka would register a shocking result against the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy semifinalist team.
However, Akshay Karnewar stood between Vidarbha and a rout. He saved the sinking ship by slamming his maiden century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The southpaw not only carried his bat with 104 but also ensured Vidarbha travelled far away from embarrassment.
Though Karnewar's century effort and Darshan Nalkande (57) could not stop the eventual defeat, they made sure Vidarbha ended up with a respectable score. Vidarbha fell short by 66 runs and faced the second consecutive defeat in as many days in Kolkata.
No. 8 Karnewar (104; 131b, 14x4, 1x6) and No. 9 Nalkande (57; 66b, 5x4, 2x6) added 140 runs for the eighth wicket. It is the third highest partnership for the eighth wicket in Indian List-A history. They joined hands in the 15th over and stayed together till the 41st over.
Before Karnewar and Nalkande showcased their grit, it was all about Karnataka pacers serving trouble with the new ball for the top-7 Vidarbha batters. Pacers Vasuki Koushik (4-27) and Vidhwath Kaverappa (3-40) spelled trouble for Vidarbha. No Vidarbha batter in the top-7 could stay in the middle for more than 24 balls. They all looked clueless against both the pacers, who pushed Vidarbha to the wall very early in the second innings.
Earlier in the morning, Vidarbha opted to field, but things did not go as planned. Vidarbha pacers got both Karnataka openers including Test opener Mayank Agarwal (9) in 10 overs. But Vidarbha lost the plot from there on.
Usually Vidarbha spinners play a big role in containing rivals. On Sunday, Nikin Jose (96), Manish Pandey (44), and Shreyas Gopal (56) did not let spinners Aditya Sarwate and Karnewar settle on what looked like a batting paradise after the initial first hour play.
Highest partnerships for 8th or lower wickets in men's List-A cricket in India
As per Rhitankar Bandyopadhyay's (@rhitankar8616) tweet, the highest partnerships for 8th or lower wickets in men's List-A cricket in India: 1) 163* by Mohd Kaif & and Mohd Saif for UP against Rajasthan in 1998; 2) 145 by Nishit Shetty and Rana Dutta for Tripura against Assam in 2009; 3) 140 by Akshay Karnewar and Darshan Nalkande for Vidarbha against Karnataka on 13 November, 2022.
Brief scores
Karnataka: 314 for 7 in 50 overs (Nikin Jose 96, Shreyas 56; Darshan Nalkande 3-74, Akshay Karnewar 2-57) bt Vidarbha 248 for 9 in 50 overs (Karnewar 104 n.o, Nalkande 57; Kaverappa 3-40, Koushik 4-27) by 66 runs
