Ranji: Odisha thrash Karnataka to top Group B

Odisha bowlers came up with a superb performance to steer their team to second win in a row and pocket six points by crushing Karnataka by 65 runs in their Group B Ranji Trophy match in Bangalore.

With this victory, Odisha are now placed on top of Group B table with 13 points.

Chasing a victory target of 245, Karnataka's batting collapsed yet again as they lost their last six wickets for just 33 runs to be bundled out for a meagre 179 in the second innings shortly before tea.

Resuming at 43 for one, the hosts needed another 202 runs for win with nine wickets in hand, but the Karnataka batsmen failed to apply themselves, even as the visiting team bowlers wreaked havoc.

Alok Sahoo was the pick of the bowlers with figures of three for 27 in the second innings, while Biplab Samnatray (2/28), Basant Mohanty (2/31) and Deepak Behera (2/38) shared six wickets between them to drub Karnataka at their own backyard.

Robin Uthappa, overnight 25, and Ganesh Satish, starting at 5, could not last long as Basant Mohanty trapped the latter lbw for 19 early on the day.

Uthappa though held on for while, he fell for 45 off 105 balls with the help of six hits to the fence.

After Uthappa's departure, Stuart Binny (42), Amit Verma (27) and Muralidharen Gautam (18) were the only other batsmen who could reach double figures.

Three quick wickets sent ripples in Karnataka's dressing room and the wicket of Amit Verma opened the floodgates for Odisha.

Brief scores:

Odisha: 202 & 255

Karnataka: 213 & 179 all out for 72.3 overs (Robin Uthappa 45, Stuart Binny 42; Alok Sahoo 3/27, Biplab Samnatray 2/28).