Assam found themselves on the backfoot within a day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B fourth-round clash against Karnataka at Barsapara Cricket Stadium on Monday with the visitors already securing the first-innings lead.Bowled out for a modest 135 and then unable to make significant inroads with the ball, the hosts watched Karnataka surge to 180 for two at stumps to take a commanding 45-run first-innings lead and seize early control of the contest in Guwahati.The damage was done largely by Karnataka’s spin duo of Ritesh Bhatkal and Shikhar Shetty, who shared all 10 wickets between them. Off-spinner Bhatkal returned figures of 5/35, while left-arm spinner Shetty claimed 5/53 as Assam collapsed after showing brief signs of resistance.Opting to bat first, Assam’s innings never recovered from a poor start that saw Nibir Deka, Pradyun Saikia and the promoted Sumit Ghadigaonkar back in the pavilion with only 30 runs on the board.Sibsankar Roy (37 off 66) and captain Denish Das (26 off 72) attempted to stabilise the innings, but Karnataka tightened their grip once Bhatkal removed both batters in his successive overs. The hosts then suffered a dramatic collapse, losing seven wickets for 42 runs to be dismissed cheaply.Having put Assam under pressure, Karnataka openers ensured there was no way back for the hosts.Rohan Patil and Mayank Agarwal dominated the Assam attack during a 129-run opening stand that effectively erased the deficit and laid the foundation for a sizeable lead. Patil was the aggressor, striking a fluent 89 off 87 balls with 13 fours and a six. The left-hander brought up his fifty in just 43 deliveries and followed up his 72 against Tripura in the previous match with another impressive effort.Agarwal provided the perfect foil at the other end, compiling an unbeaten 57 from 95 balls. The opener, who’s currently out of India selection setup, reached his half-century off 76 deliveries and remained at the crease when bad light brought an early end to play.Assam managed a brief revival through off-spinner Amlanjyoti Das, who removed Patil and Krishnan Shrijith in quick succession. However, with KV Aneesh unbeaten on seven alongside Agarwal, and Karnataka already ahead, the visitors hold a firm advantage heading into Day 2.Brief scores (In Guwahati): Assam 135 in 48.1 overs (Sibsankar Roy 37; Ritesh Bhatkal 5/35, Shikhar Shetty 5/53) vs Karnataka 180/2 in 36 overs (Rohan Patil 89, Mayank Agarwal 57 batting). Match to continue.
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