Uthappa sizzles as Dravid plays anchor

Robin Uthappa cracked his fourth century of the season, taking his first-class tally to a massive 831runs this season, as Karnataka stormed to a strong position against Saurashtra in their Ranji Trophy match at Rajkot. Rahul Dravid, the cynosure of all eyes, helped himself to a typically even-paced fifty and Karnataka ended the first day on 329 for 4.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, with a steady stream of people coming into the ground to get a glimpse of Dravid Karnataka got off to a poor start. There was a bit of assistance for the fast bowlers early on and Sandip Maniar got one ball to swing away from the bat late enough to pick up Barrington Rowland's edge. For a second Dravid, who has walked out to bat at No. 3 for India with pretty much nothing on the board all season, must have thought, here we go again. But C Raghu went in at the fall of the first wicket, leaving Dravid with more time on the balcony.

Raghu, who has a wide array of strokes, was careful in getting his eye in, and ensured that he saw the new ball off. The best attempts of Maniar and Sandeep Jobanputra were not good enough to breach the defences, and it hardly helped that Saurashtra were not latching onto the chances they were creating.

Uthappa, who began confidently, striking the ball powerfully through cover, continued at a fast clip, rarely slowing down. Even in the initial stages, with the ball doing a bit, Uthappa was assured in his strokeplay and the footwork was never hesitant as he collected boundaries almost at will. In the last Ranji match he had torn the Tamil Nadu batting attack to shreds, and here he seemed intent on doing the same to Saurashtra.

The lunch break broke Uthappa's charge, and when the players walked off the field, he had 86 to his name, while Raghu had motored along nicely to 48. The loss of the early wicket was put well behind. When the players came back after lunch Uthappa wasted no time - literally - in getting to his hundred. Two fours and a big six, off the first three balls that Kamlesh Makvana sent down, took Uthappa to his century. But he was soon out to SP Jobanputra and Saurashtra may have let out a collective sigh of relief.

Out walked Dravid, and though this wasn't exactly Durban, with Andre Nel, Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini steaming in, he settled into his usual rhythm. He left the ball well early on, defended stoutly when the ball threatened the stumps, and only went after what was loose. Raghu (83), who had put on 167 for the second wicket with Uthappa, added almost 50 with Dravid for the third, before he swept and missed and was trapped in front.

Subsequently, when Dravid attempted to sweep a loopy offbreak, missed and was bowled, there might have been disappointment for the few hundred people gathered at the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium to watch India's captain bat, but for one man, it was an absolute dream come true. For Makvana, the 23-year-old offspinner, it was a huge day just bowling to Dravid, forget about picking up his wicket. It's not often that the son of a groundsman gets to bowl to one of the best batsmen in the world.

Kamlesh, the elder son of Rasiklal Makvana, the man who has been the groundsman at this stadium in Rajkot for more than two-and-a-half decades, has been coming to this ground, initially called the Municipal Stadium, since he was a toddler. In fact, he has even worked on the ground himself - as casual labour - assisting his father.

Rasiklal has been responsible for the pitch, the outfield and the general upkeep of the ground for as long as even the old timers remember. He was initially with the fire brigade in Rajkot - that was what he was trained for - but over the years he had gained experience in working with cricket grounds. Cricket runs in the family and while Kamlesh has actually gone on to play first-class cricket for Saurashtra, his younger brother Vipul, a wicketkeeper batsman, is doing the rounds in Under-19 cricket.

With Dravid gone the crowd began to trickle out, but Karnataka lost none of their focus. Yere Goud (38 not out) and Thilak Naidu (30 not out) dug themselves in, and a Saurashtra attack that had lost one of its key bowlers, Rakesh Shruv, who fractured his hand fielding, could do little to either pick up wickets or stem the flow of runs. When the day ended with Karnataka on an imposing score, there was plenty of hard work left in the game for Saurashtra.