Karnataka Wins A Thriller Against Baroda
Karnataka edged past Baroda in a nail-biting finish, winning by five runs to secure a semi-final spot in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Devdutt Padikkal’s impressive 102 off 99 balls, shortly after returning from Australia, earned him the Player-of-the-Match honor, but the exceptional catching by Karnataka played a crucial role in the victory.
Baroda appeared to be in control of their chase for 282, with captain Krunal Pandya and centurion Shashwat Rawat reducing the target to less than 100 runs. However, from a comfortable position of 185 for 2 in the 34th over, Baroda lost three wickets for just 16 runs, giving Karnataka a chance.
Wicketkeeper Krishnan Shrijith made a spectacular one-handed catch sailing to his left to dismiss Krunal off V Koushik. The subsequent over saw Shreyas Gopal trap Vishnu Solanki lbw. Karnataka captain Mayank Agarawal then sprinted back 30 yards from mid-off to claim a spiraling catch off Shivalik Sharma.
Despite losing wickets, Baroda retained hope as Rawat approached his century. He reached the milestone in the 44th over, leaving Baroda needing 59 runs with four wickets still in hand. Bhanu Pania, who had previously scored an incredible 134 off 51 balls in a T20 match last month, went after Prasidh Krishna, scoring 15 runs in an over.
The dismissal of Pania and Rawat within three balls shifted the momentum of the match. After going wicketless for nine overs and conceding 58 runs, Prasidh managed to bowl a slow bouncer that caught Rawat’s leading edge, resulting in a catch for keeper Shrijith.
Nevertheless, Bhargav Bhatt and Raj Limbani continued to hit crucial boundaries, bringing the required runs down to 13 off the final six balls. But rookie left-arm bowler Abhilash Shetty remained composed under pressure. With Baroda needing 8 runs off the last two deliveries, they attempted a risky second run to get Bhatt on strike needing six off the final ball. However, an accurate throw from R Smaran at deep midwicket resulted in Bhatt’s run-out, sealing the match.
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Karnataka’s strong total to defend was largely credited to Padikkal, who helped his team recover from the early dismissal of Agarawal on a pitch that initially favored the fast bowlers. Padikkal and KV Aneesh combined for a solid 133-run partnership for the second wicket, establishing a firm base for the innings.
Padikkal attacked Baroda’s off-spinner Mahesh Pithiya, frequently coming down the pitch to hit boundaries as Karnataka aimed to increase the run rate. He was dismissed shortly after reaching his century off 94 balls, top-edging a pull to the wicketkeeper off Limbani. From a comfortable 172 for 2, Karnataka lost several wickets, but valuable contributions from Shrijith and Abhinav Manohar lifted them to a winning total of 281.
