NEW DELHI: Out-of-favour India batsman Karun Nair made a strong statement with a commanding unbeaten 142, guiding Karnataka to 319 for three against Kerala on the opening day of their Group B Ranji Trophy match in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

Nair Anchors Karnataka’s Recovery

Opting to bat, Karnataka suffered early setbacks as openers Aneesh KV (8) and skipper Mayank Agarwal (5) departed cheaply. Nair then took charge, stitching a crucial 116-run stand with wicketkeeper Krishnan Shrijith (65 off 110) to stabilize the innings. Later, Smaran Ravichandran (88 not out off 143) joined hands with Nair to keep Karnataka in control by stumps.

Nair’s fluent innings featured 14 boundaries and two sixes, while Shrijith’s knock was laced with 10 fours. Kerala’s MD Nideesh (1/41), Nedumankuzhy Basil (1/58) and Baba Aparajith (1/65) were the wicket-takers.

Saharan Ton Steadies Punjab

Elsewhere in New Chandigarh, Punjab captain Uday Saharan scored a patient 100 off 247 balls as his side reached 215 for five against Goa. Wicketkeeper Salil Arora was unbeaten on 51 off 131 balls. Deepraj Gaonkar (2/22) was the pick of the Goa bowlers, while Mohit Redkar, Vasuki Koushik and Arjun Tendulkar claimed one wicket each.

At Indore, Madhya Pradesh were 64 for one at stumps against Chandigarh before play was called off due to bad weather. Harsh Gawali (32 not out) and Himanshu Mantri (28 not out) were solid at the crease. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra–Saurashtra fixture was washed out due to a wet outfield.

(With PTI Inputs)