Shillong, Jan 8: Meghalaya were bowled out for a mere 71 on the first day of their U-25 Col CK Nayudu Trophy match against Karnataka in Mangaldai, Assam on Sunday.
Karnataka scored 198 by the end of the day’s play but not before losing five wickets to the left-arm spin duo of Manish Sharma (3/51) and Aryan Bora (2/59).
Meghalaya had to bat first after Karnataka won the toss. Some tight bowling and rash batting saw Meghalaya reduced to 4/4 and only three middle and lower order batters got into double figures.
Kevin Christopher (12), Md Asif Khan (11) and Ram Gurung (17) managed to stop an ultimate collapse but none of them could extend their starts and the team were all out in 23.5 overs.
Giants Karnataka did not have it all their own way with the bat, however, as no batter went higher than Pareexith Okkunda’s 48.
Karnataka were cruising along at 113/1 at tea before the spin duo from Meghalaya started inflicting the damage. Sharma and Bora bowled the bulk of the overs, turning in 19 and 20 respectively.
The fourth and fifth wickets fell within the space of 12 balls and Meghalaya thus had two new batters to bowl at for the last 9 overs of the day but Karnataka went from 153/5 to 198 without further loss.
On Monday, Meghalaya bowlers would hope to get the remaining batters out before putting up a better show with the bat.
