Arjun has played a patient knock to help Goa stay afloat.
| Photo Credit: N. Sudarshan
Weather and Karnataka haven’t been on good terms in recent times.
On Monday at the KSCA Navule Stadium here, they fell out again, with overnight rain and bad light eating up almost two hours of playing time and halting the hosts’ charge towards securing the first-innings lead.
By stumps on day three, Goa, from 28 for one, had reached 171 for six in reply to Karnataka’s 371. Credit should also be given to the visitors’ lower middle-order for digging its heels in, for Snehal Kauthankar’s side was 51 for four at one stage and then 115 for six.
Arjun Tendulkar (43 batting, 115b, 5×4, 1×6) and Mohit Redkar (24 batting, 54b, 2×4) resisted Karnataka’s advance, putting on 56 unbeaten runs for the seventh wicket from 142 balls.
Goa is still 200 runs adrift and will have to bat out of its skin on the final day. But it was admirable that it didn’t fold even under extreme pressure.
After play started an hour late, Vidwath Kaverappa and Abhilash Shetty, under largely overcast skies, came up with excellent spells, bowling a nagging line and mostly in the good-length area.
Kaverappa drew first blood, having Suyash Prabhudessai caught behind, before Abhilash sent back Kauthankar, also caught by wicket-keeper K.L. Shrijith.
When Abhinav Tejrana edged Kaverappa to Nikin Jose in the cordon, Goa was down in the dumps.
Some dogged batting from Lalit Yadav (36, 96b, 3×4) and Darshan Misal (12, 84b, 1×4) stemmed the rot, but right-arm pace-bowling all-rounder Yashovardhan Parantap proved the partnership-breaker as he forced Misal to edge to Karun Nair at slip.
A suffocating phase of play ensued as Arjun and Lalit were kept silent for nearly 10 overs, allowed to score at just above a run an over. But an attempted pressure-releasing pull from Lalit off Abhilash proved fatal as the ball went straight to Parantap at short square-leg.
Arjun and Redkar ensured Goa lived to fight another day. Some more resolve and a continuation of Karnataka’s strained relationship with the weather may offer an escape route.
The scores: Karnataka — 1st innings: 371 from 110.1 overs.
Goa — 1st innings: Manthan Khutkar c Shrijith b Abhilash 9, Suyash Prabhudessai c Shrijith b Kaverappa 12, Abhinav Tejrana c Jose b Kaverappa 18, Snehal Kauthankar c Shrijith b Abhilash 10, Lalit Yadav c Parantap b Abhilash 36, Darshan Misal c Karun b Parantap 12, Arjun Tendulkar (batting) 43, Mohit Redkar (batting) 24; Extras: (b-2, lb-4, nb-1): 7; Total (for six wkts. in 77 overs): 171.
Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-29, 3-47, 4-51, 5-100, 6-115.
Karnataka bowling: Kaverappa 18-5-30-2, Abhilash 18-3-63-3, Parantap 16-6-18-1, Vyshak 17-2-41-0, Shreyas 8-2-13-0.
Published – October 27, 2025 08:23 pm IST
