Karnataka race ahead as Gautam breaks poor form

Karnataka recorded their largest first-innings lead over Mumbai - 222 runs - as four of their batsmen made robust half-centuries on the second day of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final in Nagpur. Resuming on 115 for 1, Karnataka went to stumps on 395 for 6, with Shreyas Gopal's unbeaten 80 adding to the good work done by CM Gautam (79), Mayank Agarwal (78) and Kaunain Abbas (50)

Things had looked reasonably good for Mumbai in the morning when they got an early breakthrough. Seamer Shivam Malhotra had Agarwal caught behind in the ninth over of the day, denying him a sixth hundred of the season. Fellow debutant Shivam Dubey then dismissed Karun Nair cheaply by trapping him lbw and finished the day with a five-wicket haul.

Karnataka were only 45 runs ahead by the time they lost half their side but Gautam and Gopal put together a vital 103-run partnership to pull away from Mumbai. Gautam came into the quarter-final on the back of a dismal run of form. He averaged a mere 18 after seven innings this season but ensured he came good when his team needed it the most. He was trapped lbw by Dubey after spending 111 balls at the crease, hitting 12 fours and a six. Another big partnership followed for Karnataka as captain Vinay Kumar put on an unbeaten 74 runs with Gopal, who ended the day 20 short of his fourth first-class hundred.