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Ranji Trophy 2006-07, Semi-final, 2nd day Chipli gives Karnataka a sniff January 24, 2007
Karnataka 89 and 97 for 0 (Chipli 64*) trail Bengal 238 (Arindam 88) by 52 runs
This intriguing match took another twist today as Karnataka bounced back with a solid batting performance that showed they'd learnt their lessons of the first day. This match is now relatively evenly poised, with Bengal perhaps marginally ahead thanks to that first-innings lead. And leading the turnaround was Bharat Chipli, the 23-year-old opening batsman whose unbeaten 64 took Karnataka to 97 without loss in their second innings at stumps after Bengal folded up for 238 at the stroke of tea. Chipli, who'd scored a century against Bengal at Mysore last season, was shepherded by the dependable Barrington Rowland (26) as Karnataka reduced the first innings deficit to just 52 runs. They were far removed from the nightmare batting of yesterday; while Chipli indulged in elegant drives off the front foot to the mid-wicket fence, Rowland, more experienced and mature, played the perfect foil. What helped was that the Bengal bowling was a shadow of yesterday's devastating attack. They could have taken some tips from Karnataka's bowlers, who dragged their team back into contention without the dramatic effect of Ranadeb Bose and Sourav Sarkar's bowling yesterday (though they dismissed the Bengal lower order for less than 50 runs). Instead, they pegged away, sticking to a disciplined line and length; especially impressive were Srinivas Dhananjaya (3 for 45) and Balachandra Akhil (3 for 52), who were backed by the industrious Sunil Joshi (2 for 32). By then, though, Bengal had built up a comfortable lead, thanks to the fifth wicket stand between Arindam Das, the opener, (88) and Laxmi Ratan Shukla (41). Resuming at 121 for 4, the pair added another 71 runs in the morning to take the lead past the three-figure mark. For Das, this was a great way to emerge from a lean patch that lasted almost two seasons. He's often referred to as a strokeless wonder but today he showed the merit in a conservative approach, frustrating the Karnataka bowling through his five-hour-plus stint with his refusal to give in to temptation. Perhaps as important was the manner in which he calmed down the impatient Shukla, who was a prime candidate to fall into the trap laid by Yere Goud, the Karnataka captain. Eventually they departed; first Das, followed soon by Shukla who popped a simple catch to Dhananjaya. That left Akhil to mop up the tail, swinging the advantage back to the visiting side. That collapse did seem to rile Bengal captain Deep Dasgupta. "I'm not satisfied, I think we should have scored 40 to 50 runs more. Arindam batted beautifully, but he should have carried on, so should the other batsmen." Yet he believed that Bengal still held the advantage. "The first hour of play tomorrow, when there will be some movement, will decide everything." For Yere Goud, the feeling at stumps today was one of relief. "It was a good comeback by both our bowlers and openers. We knew that yesterday was just one bad day at the office. The comeback is a huge relief, and in fact, I am sure now that we will take the lead." Goud also spotted the positive for his side. "Batting fourth here won't be easy for Bengal, that's what our bowlers will have to keep in mind." © Cricinfo
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