Patna: In the ongoing Ranji Trophy match against Bihar at Moinul Haq Stadium, Karnataka established a solid 144-run first-innings lead, bolstered by a well-crafted century from captain Mayank Agarwal (105) and a quick-fire half-century from vice-captain Manish Pandey (56). Karnataka reached 287 for 7 in 51 overs by the end of the third day, with Shreyas Gopal unbeaten on 1.
Play on the second day was disrupted due to poor ground conditions, and Karnataka resumed their innings at 16 for no loss. Sakib Hussain struck early for Bihar, dismissing SS Satari for 10, and soon after sent SS Nikkin Jose back to the pavilion for 16. However, Agarwal then anchored Karnataka’s innings, building crucial partnerships with Samarth R (37), Manish Pandey, and Abhinav Manohar (37), which took the team to a comfortable lead.
Agarwal scored his century off 125 balls, eventually departing for 105 off 131 deliveries, which included 12 boundaries. Pandey contributed a brisk 56 off 55 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes, adding to Karnataka’s dominant position.
Bihar’s Himanshu Singh was the most effective bowler, claiming 4 wickets for 51 runs in his 12 overs, including the prized wicket of Agarwal. Sakib Hussain took 2 for 86 in 11 overs, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi picked up 1 for 21 in 4 overs, dismissing Samarth R. With Karnataka in a strong position, Bihar faces a tough challenge heading into the final days of the match.
