30 January,2014 07:26 PM IST | | Agencies
Maiden 1st class ton from Ganesh Satish helps Karnataka seize initiative after Maharashtra suffer dramatic batting collapse in the 1st innings losing last five wickets for 33 runs on 2nd day of the Ranji Trophy final
Hyderabad: Ganesh Satish slammed an unbeaten 117 and shared 216 runs with opener Lokesh Rahul (94 batting) as Karnataka took control of their Ranji Trophy summit clash against Maharashtra on the second day at Hyderabad's Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday.
After bundling out Maharashtra for 305, an addition of just 33 runs to their overnight 272 for five, in the first hour of the morning session today, Karnataka ended the second day on 230 for no loss in 68 overs.
Ganesh Satish. File Pic
Karnataka are now only 75 runs behind their opponents with all their wickets intact.
Karnataka lost opening batsman Robin Uthappa early for just 10 runs after he was retired hurt but from then on Satish and Rahul dominated the proceedings with their fine stroke-play.
It was in the fifth over that Uthappa was struck on his left elbow by a delivery from pacer Samad Fallah and was retired hurt.
But the other opener Rahul and one-down batsman Satish played some fine strokes and also capitalised on poor bowling and fielding by their opponents to place Karnataka in a strong position in the final match.
Maharashtra bowlers toiled hard for two and half sessions on a pitch from which they did not get much purchase except in the first session during which they got some movement of the ball.
They erred in line and length often and Rahul and Satish capitalised on them. Maharashtra's woes were compounded by their poor fielding, as both Rahul and Satish were dropped twice each.
Satish was dropped when on six and 89, while Rahul got lives when he was yet to open his account and on 74.
Despite the initial hiccups, which saw Uthappa walking off the field, and themselves getting lives from butterfingered Maharashtra fielders. Satish and Rahul were never shy of playing strokes. Satish has hit 16 fours from the 207 balls he has faced so far, while Rahul has struck nine fours and a six from 189 balls.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra suffered a batting collapse as six-time champions Karnataka wrested back the control.
Resuming at a comfortable 272/5, Maharashtra lost the first wicket without adding a single to the overnight score. Overnight Ankit Bawne (89) was the first to go and his overnight partner Sangram Atitkar added 21 to his score before being out for 50.
It was a clinical performance by the Karnataka pacers, led by skipper Vinay Kumar, and they took just little less than an hour to bowl out Maharashtra. Vinay and his fellow pacers Abhimanyu Mithun and Sreenath Aravind picked up three wickets each.
