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Saurashtra v Karnataka, Ranji Trophy, 2nd day

Saurashtra respond spiritedly to imposing total

The Bulletin by Anand Vasu in Rajkot

January 11, 2007

Cakes were cut and the felicitations came thick and fast on Rahul Dravid's 34th birthday but the Indian captain, never one to get excited over such occasions, was fully focussed on the domestic game © Getty Images

Karnataka stole a march towards a semi-final spot in the Ranji Trophy, posting a massive 570, but Saurashtra's openers showed they were no pushovers, posting a rousing unbeaten century stand in response. Yere Goud made his first century for Karnataka, and it was a big one, an unbeaten 171, and this propelled Karnataka to a score that will cause problems, good start or not.

When the day began, the buzz was not so much over the Ranji Trophy match that was being played, but over the selection of the 30 probables for the World Cup, which will happen on Friday at the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium in Rajkot. Television cameras began to roll in and assume vantage positions while photographers - a rather large number of them - came to the ground with a different agenda.

It was Rahul Dravid's 34th birthday, and the occasion prompted the big and mighty of Rajkot to head to the ground with cakes in tow. There were at least four different cakes cut: at one private little do in the dressing-room, one from the Saurashtra Cricket Association for the media to capture, one from the hotel where the team was staying, and another from heaven-knows-where. Dravid, never one to get excited over such occasions, wondered what all the fuss was about.

Another man who was not getting excited in the least was Goud. With the two highflyers of this match - Dravid and Robin Uthappa - already dismissed on the first day, Goud could concentrate on the task at hand - helping Karnataka post a huge total. His innings was almost nondescript, not because he did not play strokes, but because there was an air of the inevitable about it.

Once Goud had got his eye in, and seen off the early nip of Sandeep Jobanputra and Sandip Maniar, there was nothing to do but settle down and cash in. He milked the spinners - both the regular offspin of Kamlesh Makvana and the somewhat loopy, decidedly more irregular left-arm-spin of Sitanshu Kotak. At all times measured, Goud got to his century with a driven boundary off Makvana. It was a moment to relish for Goud, who only returned to Karnataka this season, having spent many years playing for Railways. Returning home, he was made captain, and now has a century under his belt.

Thilak Naidu (14), fell early in the day, and when B Akhil and Sunil Joshi departed in quick succession, there was just a chance that Saurashtra could restrict Karnataka to a manageable first-innings score. But Raju Bhatkal, making his debut for Karnataka, enthusiastically took on the bowlers, hitting three boundaries and two sixes in a breezy 42 that put Karnataka back on track.

For a time it seemed as though Karnataka were batting too long, like they were needlessly piling on the runs, but in the end it proved to be a wise decision. Udit Patel hammered 35, and was last out, with the score on 570. All along Goud held firm, batting more than six-and-a-half hours for his 171 that included 20 fours and 2 sixes.

When it was Karnataka's turn to bowl, Vinay Kumar and Akhil got their lengths wrong to start off, bowling too full on a hard, flat pitch that was good for batting. The only time the fast bowlers have had any assistance here is early in the morning, and Saurashtra's openers filled their boots. Sagar Jogiyani, who must have been tired after keeping wickets for close to two days, shrugged off fatigue and clouted the ball to all parts. He cover-drove off front and back foot with authority, clipped the ball off his pads with deftness, and even had the confidence to pull Vinay Kumar for a six over square-leg. He raced to a half-century, and was unbeaten on 62 off only 56 balls, with Kannaiya Vaghela (32 not out) keeping him good company as Saurashtra ended the day on 103 for no loss. There's still plenty of work left to do, but at least they have begun well.

Anand Vasu is assistant editor of Cricinfo

© Cricinfo