Unfancied Smaran’s ton helps Karnataka win fifth Vijay Hazare title

VADODARA: Dhruv Shorey’s third consecutive hundred went in vain as Karnataka rode on unfancied Smaran Ravichandran’s stylish ton to win its fifth Vijay Hazare Trophy title, defeating Vidarbha by 36 runs in a high-scoring final here on Saturday.

Karnataka has an unprecedented record of reaching five finals and winning all of them.

Left-handed Smaran smashed 101 off just 92 deliveries, while the unheralded keeper-batter Krishnan Shrijith chipped in with a plucky 78 off 74 balls. T20 star Abhinav Manohar provided the final flourish with a blistering 79 off 42 deliveries, propelling Karnataka to a commanding total of 348 for 6 in 50 overs.

In reply, Vidarbha, which had reached the final without losing a single game in the group stage, paid the price for most of its batters outside the top three failing to get significant time at the crease.

However, all-rounder Harsh Dubey’s explosive 63 off 30 balls, which included five sixes and as many fours, gave the winner a scare before Vidarbha was all out for 312 in 48.2 overs.

Shorey, who scored a century in both the quarter and semi-final, looked classy en route his 110 but there was no support at the end once ‘Player of the Tournament’ Karun Nair (27) had a rare failure as he got a sharp off-cutter from Prasidh Krishna which also seemed to keep a tad low knocking the off-stump back.

Karun, whose name came up for discussion during Indian team’s selection meeting in Mumbai, finished the tournament with 779 runs and a whopping average of 389.5.

Much of the credit should go to military medium pace bowler Vasuki Koushik (3/47 in 10 overs), who did well to bowl within his limitations, pitching it up and keeping everything in line of stumps. He hardly gave away loose deliveries and all those batters, who didn’t have much game time unlike Shorey, Nair and Yash Rathod, struggled to keep up the momentum.

The other Karnataka bowlers, including Prasidh (3/84 in 10 overs) and left-arm Abhilash Shetty (3/58 in 9.2 overs), bowled numerous short deliveries, which Shorey easily dispatched by rocking back. He struck eight fours and two sixes, with the second six off Prasidh, hit down the ground, bringing up his hundred.

Once Shetty got him holed trying to pull, it was curtains for Vidarbha even as Dubey used the long handle to good effect towards the end.

Earlier, left-handed Smaran did well with his strong off-side play but it was Manohar, whose lusty hits including four sixes, took Karnataka to a match-winning total close to 350.

Brief scores: Karnataka 348/6 in 50 overs (R Smaran 101, A Manohar 79, K Shrijith 78) bt Vidarbha 312 in 48.2 overs (D Shorey 110, H Dubey 63, V Koushik 3/47, A Shetty 3/58, Prasidh Krishna 3/84)