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The stage wasn’t anywhere as grand as the Gabba where Shamar Joesph’s heroics with the broken foot took West Indies to a famous win over Australia but Karan Sharma’s pluckiness despite an injured wrist made him a hero in the Uttar Pradesh dressing room.
Averaging 25 over two first-class seasons, with no notable showings in IPL in 3 matches across 2 seasons, Karan, 25, saw his opportunity to make a name and he did by guiding UP to a thrilling 2-wicket win, chasing 195 in the last innings against Mumbai in the Ranji trophy tie at the Wankhede stadium on Monday.
The right-hander’s unbeaten 67 was an innings of two halves. UP were coasting, courtesy Karan’s 104-run third wicket partnership with Aryan Juyal. That’s when UP suffered a double-blow – Juyal was dismissed on 76 after and the pain in Sharma’s left wrist became unberable and he had to retire hurt on 47.
With the match slipping away, it was just the window of opportunity Mumbai spinners Tanush Kotian and Shams Mulani were after. Off-spinner Kotian identified his round-the-wicket line of attack and Mulani, as he so often does, began to let the ball rip with his left-arm spin.
As the spin-duo bowled unchanged, crowding batters with close-in fielders, the pressure began to mount on a fourth day pitch began showing signs of wear. Three wickets fell in a span of 21 minutes while Karan was in the dressing room. Soon, it was time to pad up.
“Nitish bhai (Rana) said ‘I have to bat’. When another wicket fell, he asked me if I could bat and I told him there was extreme pain. Then I got a painkiller injection and more wickets fell, so I said I’ll go,” Karan said.
The painkillers allowed him to gamely make his way the crease, but his movement was severely restricted. “I could barely play. I was only able to defend because if the top hand is not moving, then how will the bottom hand come into play? I couldn’t grip the bat properly. So, I thought I’ll keep defending. I thought I would play the anchor and rely on my defense,” he said.
But a poor umpiring decision meant the set Akashdeep Nath (28) fell leg before. Karan knew it was time to muster courage, bear some pain and try to bring the target down. “The situation was such that I had to take some chance. I held the bat very tight and swung hard against the off-spinner,” he said.
The gamble paid off. Two sixes down cow-corner and soon, victory was near. The winning hit came with an edge down third man. There was hysteria in the dressing room but Karan was too consumed by emotion to celebrate. “It was one of my best knocks. It’s also special because it came after a long time and a lean patch,” he said.
It was UP’s first outright win of the season and Mumbai’s first loss.
Rahane expected to recover
Ajinkya Rahane, who was run-out hobbling with his hamstring pain, said he is expected to be fit in time for the Feb 2 match at Eden Gardens against Bengal. They will be without Mulani, who gets an opportunity for India A against England Lions.
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