BENGALURU: Not for the first time since their win in 2014-15, Karnataka came agonisingly close to adding another Ranji Trophy title to their kitty, faltering in the semifinal — again — to old nemesis Saurashtra.
The team has proved too good in the initial rounds, and yet does not appear to belong to the big league. They have virtually thrown games away and have lacked intent at the business end of the season. Sparks of individual brilliance have lit up matches but, as a team, they haven't been hungry enough for success.
Perhaps it's the ill effects of IPL riches, which have been bestowed on several key members of this team, or the inability to deliver performances to back reputations, but the decline of Karnataka as a champion team is telling.
While Mayank Agarwal and his men will take a lot of positives from the season, there are many holes the think-tank needs to plug, going forward.
For the future of Karnataka cricket, it is critical that the management takes some critical and harsh decisions, reads the riot act to a few seniors and infuses fresh blood.
WHAT WENT WRONG
In a bizarre decision, last season's highest run-getter and crisis man KV Siddharth was benched for the entire season. True, he was returning from injury, but the decision to go with reputations of established players and not by Siddharth's pedigree baffles.
Then, there was the case of rookie Vishal Onat. He was handed a cap but after a few lukewarm performances was sent back to age-group cricket following the return of Devdutt Padikkal.
Also, dropping medium pacer M Venkatesh after he picked up a five-wicket haul on debut in the quarterfinals against Uttarakhand, raised more than just an eyebrow.
SENIORS' FLOPSHOW IN KEY MATCHES
Karnataka's senior pros and top order bats Manish Pandey (488 runs) and R Samarth (662) have numbers to back them this season, but those runs haven't come when it really mattered. Pandey scored 39 against Uttarkhand in the last-eight contest and returned a grand total of 11 (7 &4) against Saurashtra. Opener Samarth returned three runs (3 & 0) in the semis. Given their reputation, experience, and form, they ought to have brought their A game to the knockout rounds just as skipper Mayank Agarwal did.
Likewise, talented southpaw Padikkal contributed 16 runs (9&7) in the last-four match. Rather than their lack of contributions, it was their soft dismissals which tell the story.
LACK OF SPIN OPTIONS
The spinners were effective in patches, maybe owing to lack of application or because the M Chinnaswamy stadium pitch did not prove conducive enough for spin. But the inability to look beyond K Gowtham (31 wkts) and Shreyas Gopal (15) and take a chance on Shubhang Hegde proved expensive.
Leggie Shreyas, who came good with the bat, was found wanting throughout the season. His utilisation (175.5 overs in 8 matches) and timing of being brought into the attack is a different story.
POOR FIELDING
Once an electrifying fielding side, Karnataka's standards have slumped over the past two seasons. Catches were grassed, boundaries gifted. Against good sides, these mistakes were punished as it happened in the semifinal against Saurashtra.
SUNNY SIDE UP
The downside notwithstanding, there were some key takeaways for Karnataka from the season.
BATTING
Skipper Agarwal led from the front, scoring 990 runs with 249 being his highest score. The opener's fine run included three centuries and six 50s. But the find of the season was Nikin Jose. Once a prodigy, the 22-year-old found himself in the wilderness because of poor form. Bouncing back with some stirring performances in the KSCA league, the top-order batter showcased his repertoire of strokes and handled pressure well. His debut season was memorable with 547 runs, including four half-centuries and maiden ton against Saurashtra.
BOWLING
The Karnataka pacers were the stars of the season. While Vidwath Kaverappa (30 wkts) and Vyshak accounted for crucial breakthroughs, it was V Koushik (24 wkts), who anchored the attack with his consistency in line and length and ability to dry up runs.
