Karnataka walked away with three points courtesy their first innings lead against Jharkhand in a Group A Ranji Trophy match, which ended in a tame draw on the fourth day, here today.
Only a batting collapse could have made a contest on the final day but Jharkhand batsmen batted sensibly. They lost five wickets before scoring 215 runs and declaring their second innings.
Opener Bhavik Thaker (63), Saurabh Tiwary (41) and Ishank Jaggi (56), batted with dogged determination for their side.
At lunch-time, Karnataka had scalped three wickets and Jharkhand had scored 115 runs.
Jharkhand lost only a wicket in the second session and the umpires called off the match after consulting both captains after Satish Ganesh caught Jaggi off his own bowling.
Earlier resuming at four for no loss in their second innings, Jharkhand top-order batsmen had a torrid time out in the middle as Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun, used morning condition and moisture on the surface.
Vinay and Mithun gave Karnataka a rollicking start by getting rid of opener Akash Verma (10) and Sunny Gupta (6), leaving Jharkhand reeling at 30 for two.
Tiwary (41) and Thaker stitched a 60-run stand for third wicket but left-arm spinner K P Apanna got rid of the former.
If the opening session belonged to Karnataka, who sent back three top-order Jharkhand batsmen back to the hut, the post-lunch session undoubtedly belonged to Jharkhand as they added 78 runs by losing just one wicket.
Along with Jaggi, Thaker put on yet another useful 49-run partnership for fourth wicket as Jharkhand reached 193 for four at tea, leading Karnataka by 133 runs.
Thaker left the scene on 63, which came off 162 balls with eight hits to the fence. He was cleaned up by first-innings star bowler Sreenath Arvind.
After exit of Thaker, Jaggi added 46 runs for the unconquered fifth wicket with Shiv Gautam (16).
