Ranji Trophy 2019-20: Ravikumar Samarth, KV Siddharth help Karnataka wrest control on Day 1 against Madhya Pradesh
Scorecard (At stumps on Day 1)
Karnataka 233/3 from 86 overs (R Samarth 103*, KV Siddharth 62*, Gaurav Yadav 1/29)
A patient century from Ravikumar Samarth and a timely half-century from KV Siddharth helped Karnataka to 233/3 at stumps on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy 2019-20 Round 8 encounter against Madhya Pradesh at the KSCA Navule Stadium in Shimoga.
Put in to bat first by Madhya Pradesh skipper Shubham Sharma, Karnataka were dealt an early blow as in-form opener Devdutt Padikkal was removed in the second over by Ravi Yadav.
Southpaw Rohan Kadam walked in as the left-hander and Samarth played out the new ball despite the MP pacers' attempt to make the most use of the pacy conditions on offer. However, their 31-run partnership off 81 balls came to an end when Kadam was sent back for a 36-ball 9 by Gourav Yadav.
In walked skipper Karun Nair, who was looking to put away his poor run of form. Nair did make a promising start and was unbeaten on 13 as Karnataka went into lunch at 64/2, with Samarth unbeaten on 25.
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Batsmen make merry post lunch
However, Nair fell early into the second session and returned to the pavilion post a 72-ball 22-run knock which saw KV Siddharth walk out to the middle with Karnataka's score reading 83/3 in the 42nd over.
The duo mixed patience with aggression as they slowly went about threading the gaps and milking the runs. Once Samarth brought up a well-earned half-century from 166 balls, the home side held the advantage going into the tea break with the score reading 120/3 and the partnership worth 37 runs.
Post tea, the Madhya Pradesh bowlers were made to toil hard but without any results as Siddharth got to his fifty off 99 balls and with close to 10 overs left before the end of day's play, Samarth got to the three-figure mark as Karnataka also crossed the 200-run mark.
At stumps, the Karnataka duo had done well to put their side in the driver's seat and with their 150-run partnership tilting the scales in the hosts' favour, Madhya Pradesh will certainly have their task cut out to bowl Karnataka out early on the second day.