<p>Karnataka’s inexperienced batting line-up expectedly came a cropper against the guile of seasoned pacer Jaydev Unadkat with the visitors staring at the prospect of a morale-shattering innings defeat against Saurashtra in a Group B Ranji Trophy affair.</p>.<p>With not a single centurion in four completed matches so far and a highest team score of 336, it was always going to be a Herculean challenge for Karnataka to come anywhere close to the 581/7 Saurashtra posted in their first innings at the Madhavarao Scindia Cricket Ground. And with a line-up where some are trying to find form and some returning following lengthy injury lay-offs, it seemed a next-to-impossible task.</p>.<p>Wily left-arm pacer Unadkat, who has been in brilliant form this season with two six-wicket hauls in three games, was well aware of Karnataka’s inadequacies. The 28-year-old, already having prised out in-form opener Devdutt Padikkal on the second evening, produced a fine exhibition of seam bowling, bagging 5/49 to skittle out Karnataka for 171 in 79 overs. With just three and a half sessions left in the game, the pacer had no hesitation in asking the visitors to follow-on, who managed to take stumps at 30/0. Although they withstood the third evening without any damage, the final day will be one big test of character with Saurashtra favourites to wrap up their third win.</p>.<p>Unadkat took a while in the morning to get his engines running. He bowled two short spells comprising three overs in total as overnight batsman R Samarth (63, 174b) and Rohan Kadam negotiated the opening 45 minutes doggedly. Unadkat then hit top gear in his third spell (4-0-5-2) with some vintage bowling to kick-start Karnataka’s collapse.</p>.<p>Moving the ball both ways, he constantly preyed on the decision-making of the batsmen. A couple came in, a couple moved away and a couple just hung around the off-stump. All this from either good length area or slightly full length. Although the pace wasn’t searing, the accuracy was compelling. The examination was a stern one for the inexperienced Karnataka lot and barring Samarth, they all duly succumbed without much of a fight.</p>.<p>The first to depart was Kadam, the left-hander poking at a teaser around his off-stump. K V Siddharth, playing his first match after recovering from an injury, lasted a mere 11 balls, jutting his bat out to an away going delivery. Karnataka were reeling 44/3 at that stage and a quick end seemed inevitable.</p>.<p>Pavan Deshpande and later Shreyas Gopal hung around for a while with Samarth but they looked circumspect during their vigils. Spinners Kamlesh Makwana (3/27) and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (1/51) complemented Unadkat with parsimonious bowling, creating pressure from both ends for Karnataka.</p>.<p>When Karnataka were reduced to 93/6 in the second session, a quick finish looked imminent. Samarth and Pravin Dubey (46 n.o, 106b) forged a 39-run stand for the seventh wicket when Unadkat returned to hasten the end. He dismissed Samarth with a teaser and J Suchith with a beauty in quick succession and thereafter the end was inevitable.</p>.<p>Karnataka showed some gumption in the second innings and plenty of that would be needed on Tuesday to save themselves from a chastening defeat.</p>
<p>Karnataka’s inexperienced batting line-up expectedly came a cropper against the guile of seasoned pacer Jaydev Unadkat with the visitors staring at the prospect of a morale-shattering innings defeat against Saurashtra in a Group B Ranji Trophy affair.</p>.<p>With not a single centurion in four completed matches so far and a highest team score of 336, it was always going to be a Herculean challenge for Karnataka to come anywhere close to the 581/7 Saurashtra posted in their first innings at the Madhavarao Scindia Cricket Ground. And with a line-up where some are trying to find form and some returning following lengthy injury lay-offs, it seemed a next-to-impossible task.</p>.<p>Wily left-arm pacer Unadkat, who has been in brilliant form this season with two six-wicket hauls in three games, was well aware of Karnataka’s inadequacies. The 28-year-old, already having prised out in-form opener Devdutt Padikkal on the second evening, produced a fine exhibition of seam bowling, bagging 5/49 to skittle out Karnataka for 171 in 79 overs. With just three and a half sessions left in the game, the pacer had no hesitation in asking the visitors to follow-on, who managed to take stumps at 30/0. Although they withstood the third evening without any damage, the final day will be one big test of character with Saurashtra favourites to wrap up their third win.</p>.<p>Unadkat took a while in the morning to get his engines running. He bowled two short spells comprising three overs in total as overnight batsman R Samarth (63, 174b) and Rohan Kadam negotiated the opening 45 minutes doggedly. Unadkat then hit top gear in his third spell (4-0-5-2) with some vintage bowling to kick-start Karnataka’s collapse.</p>.<p>Moving the ball both ways, he constantly preyed on the decision-making of the batsmen. A couple came in, a couple moved away and a couple just hung around the off-stump. All this from either good length area or slightly full length. Although the pace wasn’t searing, the accuracy was compelling. The examination was a stern one for the inexperienced Karnataka lot and barring Samarth, they all duly succumbed without much of a fight.</p>.<p>The first to depart was Kadam, the left-hander poking at a teaser around his off-stump. K V Siddharth, playing his first match after recovering from an injury, lasted a mere 11 balls, jutting his bat out to an away going delivery. Karnataka were reeling 44/3 at that stage and a quick end seemed inevitable.</p>.<p>Pavan Deshpande and later Shreyas Gopal hung around for a while with Samarth but they looked circumspect during their vigils. Spinners Kamlesh Makwana (3/27) and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (1/51) complemented Unadkat with parsimonious bowling, creating pressure from both ends for Karnataka.</p>.<p>When Karnataka were reduced to 93/6 in the second session, a quick finish looked imminent. Samarth and Pravin Dubey (46 n.o, 106b) forged a 39-run stand for the seventh wicket when Unadkat returned to hasten the end. He dismissed Samarth with a teaser and J Suchith with a beauty in quick succession and thereafter the end was inevitable.</p>.<p>Karnataka showed some gumption in the second innings and plenty of that would be needed on Tuesday to save themselves from a chastening defeat.</p>