Cricket, especially the T20 format, is a game of margins. The nerve-racking quarterfinal clash between Karnataka and Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy was a perfect example. In New Delhi on Thursday, former champions Karnataka upped their game in the nick of time to thump Bengal in the Super Over. The contest was a typical potboiler, with fading light, a spirited opposition and some stunning display of teamwork by Karnataka adding to the exciting finish.
The combined effort of a gutsy Karun Nair (55 n.o, 29b, 4x4, 3x6), Rohan Kadam (30) and a rather scrappy effort by skipper Manish Pandey (29) helped Karnataka to 160/5. Bengal fought back but Karun and Manish came up with match-saving efforts on the field in the last two overs. This took the match to the Super Over. With spin ace KC Cariappa ensuring Bengal were restricted to 5/2, Pandey fittingly took his team across the finish line with a maximum over deep midwicket off Mukesh Kumar.
In the semifinal, Karnataka will take on Vidarbha while the other last-four clash will pit defending champions Tamil Nadu against Hyderabad. Both matches will be played on Saturday.
Earlier, Karnataka’s openers – Kadam and BR Sharath – again failed to get going with the latter losing his stumps to Akash Deep in the fourth over. Karnataka’s innings was laboured in Power Play, yielding just 28 runs. Kadam, who seemed in good touch, dragged a Shahbaz Ahmed delivery outside the off stump and miscued it to Pradipta Pramanik at deep midwicket. With his team struggling at 51/2, Karun took charge and displayed more than just a glimpse of his old aggressive self, picking the deliveries with precision and executing his shots well. This, despite Bengal deciding to operate left-arm spinners at both ends.
Just when the partnership was gathering steam, Pandey failed to read Sayan Ghosh’s change of pace and gifted a sitter to Pramanik at backward point. Abhinav Manohar too left after a brief cameo but Karun remained focused at the other end. He finished the innings with a flourish pulling Mukesh over deep square leg for a maximum which also brought up his half-century.
Karnataka's new-ball pair of Vyshak Vijaykumar and Vidhyadhar Patil gave away 88 runs between them, but the other three — spinners Cariappa, Suchith (2/24) and pacer MB Darshan (3/26) kept up the pressure on Bengal. Although Bengal lost wickets at regular intervals, Writtick Chatterjee (51, 40b, 2x4, 3x6) and Ritwik Chowdhury (36 n.o, 18b, 4x4, 2x6) kept them in the game.
With Bengal requiring 26 runs off 12 balls, Darshan kept it tight giving away six runs and picking up a wicket in the penultimate over. With 20 runs to defend, rookie Vidhyadhar was slammed for two consecutive sixes by Chowdhary and Akash Deep reduced the margin further with a boundary. With Bengal needing a run off the last ball, Pandey came up with a stunner, picking up the ball at short cover and striking the wicket to run Akash Deep out to take the match to the Super Over.
SCOREBOARD
Karnataka: Rohan Kadam c Pramanik b Shahbaz 30, BR Sharath b Akash Deep 4, Manish Pandey c Pramanik b Ghosh 29, Karun Nair (not out) 55, Abhinav Manohar c Das b W Chatterjee 19, Aniruddha Joshi c Chowdhury b Mukesh 16, Vyshak Vijaykumar (not out) 1. Extras (NB-1; W-4; LB-1) 6. Total (for 5 wkts; 20 overs) 160.
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-51, 3-87, 4-117, 5-148.
Bowling: Mukesh Kumar 4-0-34-1, Akash Deep 4-0-23-1, Sayan Ghosh 4-0-27-1, Writtick Chatterjee 2-0-23-1, Shahbaz Ahmed 4-0-36-1, Pradipta Pramanik 2-0-16-0.
Bengal: Shreevats Goswami (run out) 22, Abhisek Das c Karun b Patil 0, Writtick Chatterjee c Kadam b Darshan 51, Sudip Chatterjee c Pandey b Darshan 12, Kaif Ahmad b Suchith 20, Shahbaz Ahmed c Aniruddha b Suchith 0, Ritwik Chowdhary (not out) 36, Pradipta Pramanik c Karun b Darshan 11, Akash Deep (run out) 6. Extras (W-1; LB-1) 2. Total (for 8 wkts; 20 overs) 160.
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-29, 3-51, 4-100, 5-100, 6-108, 7-141, 8-160.
Bowling: Vyshak Vijaykumar 4-0-41-0, Vidhyadhar Patil 4-0-47-1, KC Cariappa 4-0-21-0, MB Darshan 4-0-26-3, Suchith J 4-0-24-2.
Super Over:
Bengal: Kaif c Karun b Cariappa 0, Chowdhury (not out) 0, Goswami (run out) 5. Total (2 wkts; 0.4 overs) 5. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-5. Bowling: Cariappa: 0.4-0-5-1.
Karnataka: Pandey (not out) 8, Karun (not out) 0. Total (no loss; 0.2 overs) 8. Bowling: Mukesh 0.2-0-8-0.
STATS
13 - The number of occasions a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match has ended in a tie
4 - Tied matches in which Karnataka have been involved
1 - In the tournament this is the first time Karnataka have won the Super Over after it was introduced, having lost to Baroda and Punjab in the past (other tied game against Tamil Nadu in 2013).
