Ranji Trophy 2017: Mayank Agarwal-Manish Pandey ensure Karnataka stay on track against Railways

In unfamiliar territory, centuries by Mayank Agarwal and Manish Pandey power Karnataka to 355/6 against Railways.

Ranji Trophy 2017, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karnataka vs Railways, Karnataka ranji team, Cricket news, Indian Express

Mayank Agarwal, season’s highest run-scorer, continued his rich vein of form with his third thundred. (Source: Express File)

Manish Pandey, Karnataka’s prolific middle-order batsman, walked into bat under testing conditions on the first morning of the Group A match against Railways. His team, after having taken first strike on a cool winter morning at Delhi’s Karnail Singh Stadium, were reeling at 19/3 in the 8th over. The pitch was offering just about enough assistance to keep the Railways fast bowlers interested, and when Pandey walked out, Karnataka found itself in an unfamiliar territory. This was only the second time in nine innings this Ranji season that Vinay Kumar’s team, brimming with such fine batting talent, had witnessed a top-order wobble. On Saturday, Karnataka lost opener Ravikumar Samarth, Dega Nischal and Karun Nair, all in the first 40 minutes of play. For Pandey and opener Mayank Agarwal, the game-plan was simple; See out the first session till lunch.

As the game meandered into the second session, the fast bowlers lost the sting as the moisture in the track depleted. But the absence of a quality back-up spinner would hurt Railways’ chances. There was uneven bounce and Karnail Singh track showed no signs of quickening up. It was not the ideal scenario for Karnataka’s two belligerent stroke-players. But they applied themselves well and it was only time before the two would launch themselves.

Agarwal, the season’s highest run-scorer, continued his rich vein of form. Along with Pandey, the two marched on and brought up their respective centuries through boundaries. Just before the tea interval when Pandey was trapped in front for 108, the fourth-wicket partnership had swelled to 231 runs, which had come in a shade under 51 overs. This proved to be the cornerstone of Karnataka’s resounding fightback. Pandey’s dismissal did little to deter Agarwal at the other end, who had taken his centuries’ tally to four this season. The 25-year-old would get dismissed in the final delivery of the day, by then he had scored 173 runs.

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Agarwal, till the last season, was plagued by inconsistency. The reason for the turnaround, he believed, was because he had become more aware of his game. “I have not done anything differently. It was more to do with the skill-based training that I had during my off-season. Just putting myself in different match situations and working out my way in dealing with them has helped understand my game better,” he elaborated.

He also said the reason for his tall scores was because he was looking to play a specific number of deliveries, rather than concentrating on his individual score.

The opener’s 248-ball vigil today was a testimony to his growing maturity and his unflinching concentration levels.

J. Arun Kumar, Karanataka’s former coach, and someone who has watched Agarwal from the U-19 levels, is not surprised by his turnaround. “It’s all about getting on a roll. I always believed in his talent. Even when he was not scoring runs, lot of people asked me to drop him. But I like his aggression and the brisk starts he gives at the top of the order, which deflates opposition bowlers. The triple hundred earlier this season has really taken the pressure off him,” he said.

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Brief scores: Karnataka 355/6 (Mayank Agarwal 173, Manish Pandey 108; Manish Rao 2-65) vs Railways.

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