Sports
Ranji: Nair's unbeaten 310 pushes Karnataka's lead to 484 runs
Mumbai, March 10
Karun Nair's unbeaten 310
helped Karnataka reach 618/7 on the third day of the Ranji Trophy final
at the Wankhede Stadium here on Tuesday.
With only two days remaining, Karnataka have taken a mammoth 484-run lead that puts them on course for retaining the title.
Chasing
Tamil Nadu’s first innings total of 134, the defending champions were
323/5 on Monday. Both the overnight batsmen Karun Nair, then on 130, and
Lokesh Rahul, then on 131, continued to flay the opposition bowlers.
Indian
Test opener Rahul was dismissed at the personal score of 188 when he
offered a catch to Vijay Shankar off Malolan Rangarajan. The
right-hander hit 17 fours and three sixes during his ninth first-class
century.
But the 22-year-old had already put his team in position
of strength at 470/6. He and Nair forged a 384-run stand for the sixth
wicket that marked a complete turnaround. They had joined hands when
Karnataka were reeling at 84/5.
Nair, 23, notched up his first
triple hundred in the first-class cricket and ensured that his team bats
Tamil Nadu out of the contest.
He has so far faced 533
deliveries, hitting 45 of them to the fence and one over it. After the
wicket of Rahul, Shreyas Gopal (11) also lost his wicket but that didn't
bother right-hander Nair. R. Vinay Kumar provided a very good support
from the other end and the skipper is on 41.
It will be a
formality when Vinay declares the innings on Wednesday. Considering the
huge lead, Karnataka are expected to go for the jugular. Even if Tamil
Nadu put up a brave fight in the second innings, Karnataka will be
runaway winners on the basis of first innings lead.
Brief scores:
Tamil Nadu 134 all out vs Karnataka 618/7 (Karun Nair 310 not out,
Lokesh Rahul 188; Lakshmipathy Balaji 3/95, Malolan Rangarajan 2/155) at
stumps on Day 3.