Binny finds form in draw

With a draw the most likely conclusion on the fourth day at Chinnaswamy Stadium, hosts Karnataka utilised the time available for some batting practice against Gujarat. They finished the day at 245 for 4, boosted by Stuart Binny's seventh first-class hundred, after dismissing Gujarat for 411 in the first session. The draw gives Gujarat three points based on a first-innings lead while Karnataka get one.

Abhimanyu Mithun had an impressive morning session and was instrumental in ensuring that the Gujarat resistance lasted less than 20 overs. Mithun dismissed Rakesh Dhurv and last man, Jasprit Bumrah, while the remaining two wickets were taken by Mayank Agarwal, to restrict Gujarat to 411 with a lead of 105.

The rest of the day belonged to Binny, who was promoted up the order to No. 4 after Manish Pandey's injury. After scores of 2 and 4 in the lead-up to this innings, Binny was keen to get some runs, particularly as Karnataka prepare for three successive away games.

Karnataka were 23 for 2 in the 10th over after Agarwal and Kunal Kapoor were dismissed cheaply but their next 100 runs came off 115 balls as Binny got into the groove straightaway, attacking the Gujarat spinners and pacers alike and forcing them to change their attacking lengths to defensive ones.

At the other end, KL Rahul grew in confidence, hitting out against Akshar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah, but the young opener would be disappointed on missing out on a bigger score after getting yet another start as he was dismissed by Rakesh Dhurv for 47.

His exit hardly affected Binny, who brought out the reverse-sweep to have the sparse crowd hooting in appreciation. By the time Binny reached his century, off 88 balls, Karnataka had only scored 184. He was dismissed playing in the manner in which he had started, attempting a big shot, but by then, Karnataka had played long enough to ensure a draw.

Wicketkeeper CM Gautam and Ganesh Satish played out the remaining overs safely until play was called off.

Binny was pleased that he had made use of an opportunity given by the team management to find some form. He also said that the spinners' lines early on allowed him to settle quickly.

"I have a pretty simple game plan," Binny said. "I try and play 20 minutes to see what is happening, in terms of conditions, and then I play my game. The pitch was good to bat on and the spinners tried to attack me early on, which helped me attack them in turn. I won't say I was worried that I didn't get enough runs but it's always good to start your Ranji Trophy with a few runs. I don't think I played more than 10 balls in the two innings before this one, and therefore it's crucial for me to play out the first 20 minutes."

With three away games against Vidarbha, Odisha and Haryana up next, Binny said the team would be focused on first securing a first-innings lead before attempting an outright victory. Manish Pandey is expected to recover from a twisted ankle in time for the next round on November 21 and with Robin Uthappa also expected to be join the squad, Karnataka are confident of their chances.

"At the moment, we haven't got the results we have wanted," Binny said. "We shouldn't try and think too much about where we are on the table because it's still too early in the tournament. First we will try to get an innings-lead and then try for an all-out victory."

Gujarat, who are comfortable in the second place with 13 points, are scheduled to play an away game against Punjab on November 21.