KV Aneesh's unbeaten 142 puts Karnataka 361 ahead of Assam in Guwahati

Karnataka closed the second day in Guwahati on 496 for 5, a lead of 361, with KV Aneesh unbeaten on 142

Assam chose to bat first at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium and were dismissed for 135 in 48.1 overs on the opening day. By stumps on Tuesday, Karnataka had batted them out of the contest in their fourth Elite Group B fixture.

KV Aneesh resumed on 7 and was still there at the close, having made 142 from 248 balls with 10 fours and two sixes. Manvanth Kumar kept him company at the other end on 53 from 63 deliveries.

Karnataka have five wickets standing and two days to use them. Assam need 361 simply to make the visitors bat again.

Bhatkal and Shetty share all ten

Assam were undone by spin on Monday morning. Off-spinner Rithesh Bhatkal finished with 5-35 and left-arm spinner Shikhar Shetty with 5-53, the pair accounting for every wicket that fell.

Bhatkal bowled opener Pradyun Saikia for 13 in the ninth over and Shetty pinned Sumit Ghadigaonkar for 1 in the tenth. When Bhatkal removed Nibir Deka for 12, the hosts were 30 for 3 inside 13 overs.

Sibsankar Roy and Denish Das checked the slide with a fourth-wicket stand of 63, the only partnership of substance in the innings. Bhatkal dismissed Roy for 37 in the penultimate over before lunch and sent back Das for 26 in the first over after it.

Patil and Agarwal answer in kind

Karnataka's openers removed any doubt about the pitch. Rohan Patil made 89 from 87 balls with 13 fours and a six, and put on 129 for the first wicket with Mayank Agarwal inside 25 overs.

Patil was caught off Amlanjyoti Das 11 short of a hundred, the second match running in which he has passed fifty without converting. Karnataka reached 180 for 2 at the end of day one, already 45 in front.

Agarwal, 57 not out overnight, added 15 to his score on Tuesday before falling for 72 from 121 balls. Wicketkeeper Krishnan Shrijith had gone earlier for a brisk 19.

A young middle order does the rest

Karnataka head coach Vinay Kumar has pressed the state's younger players to seal their places this season, and the second day belonged to them. Aneesh, Aneeshwar Gautam and Manvanth Kumar between them faced more than 400 balls.

Aneesh made 68 in the previous round against Tripura at Mysuru, where Patil and Karun Nair also passed fifty. "When the senior players are unavailable, it gives us added responsibility and helps us to mature quicker," Patil said after that match.

Nair was the one senior to miss out here, lbw to RM Alam for 21 from 45 balls with Karnataka 253 for 4.

Gautam and Manvanth Kumar stretch the lead

Gautam answered with 83 from 125 balls, striking nine fours and three sixes, and his stand with Aneesh carried Karnataka past 400 before he too fell to Alam in the 95th over.

Manvanth Kumar, 22, who had made 6 not out in the previous round, then brought up his own fifty and was unbeaten on 53 from 63 balls at the close.

Assam's bowlers were given little. Amlanjyoti Das returned 2-121 from 34 overs and Alam 2-126 from 27, while Mohit Thakur took the other wicket for 92 runs.

What it means in Elite Group B

Karnataka began the round fourth in the group on nine points from three matches, with one win to their name. Assam were fifth on seven.

Two days remain, and Karnataka resume on Wednesday with the declaration in their hands.

Scorecard: Assam 135 (48.1 overs; Rithesh Bhatkal 5-35, Shikhar Shetty 5-53) trail Karnataka 496 for 5 (117 overs; KV Aneesh 142 not out, Rohan Patil 89, Aneeshwar Gautam 83, Mayank Agarwal 72, Manvanth Kumar 53 not out) by 361 runs at stumps on day two.

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