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Hyderabad in final after 14 years

Our Correspondent

Hyderabad entered the Ranji Trophy final after a gap of 14 years after getting the better of champions Karnataka by virtue of their 154-run first innings lead.

The highlight of Saturday's play, the last day of the five-day semi-final, which petered out into a tame draw at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore, was a century by Venka Pratap in Hyderabad's second innings. It was his sixth Ranji century and his second this season.

The umpires called off play after Hyderabad declared their innings at 236 for six, with six of the mandatory bowled.

In the final, to be played in Bombay from April 19, Hyderabad will meet Bombay, who scored an eight-wicket victory over Tamil Nadu in the other semi-final in Bombay.

Hyderabad last entered the final under the leadership of M V Narasimha Rao and won the trophy beating Delhi in 1986-87.

Resuming at 523 for nine, Karnataka added just 34 more runs in the 30 minutes of play before the last wicket fell. Dodda Ganesh was bowled by Venkatapathy Raju for 76. Ganesh provided the handful of spectators something to shout about as he hit consecutive sixes over long on and mid wicket off Kanwaljit Singh.

Skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, playing his first semi-final, paid rich compliments to his boys, particularly V V S Laxman. "We had decided to declare after 700 runs as the pitch was placid; we did not want to take chances," he said.

The former Indian skipper said he is looking forward to the final against Bombay as it will be his first Ranji Trophy final.

"I had an opportunity to play in 1986-87, but was playing for India. I will be happy if we win the tournament as it will be another feather on my cap. I have won many tournaments for the country and the state, but not Ranji," he said.

Scoreboard

Hyderabad (1st innings): 711 for eight declared

Karnataka (1st innings):
Arun Kumar c Nandakishore b Kanwaljit Singh 71
M Beerala c Azharuddin b Kanwaljit Singh 74
R Barrington c Azharuddin b Ahmed 65
V Bharadwaj c & b Raju 90
VST Naidu c Sheikh b Ahmed 3
A Vijay c Sheikh b Raju 4
B Akhil c Nandakishore b Raju 32
S B Joshi lbw b Ahmed 72
D Ganesh b Raju 76
B K V Prasad c Azharuddin b Kanwaljit Singh 7
M A Khan not out 7
Extras (b 6, lb 12, w 3, nb 35) 56
Total (all out, 162.4 overs) 557
Fall of wickets: 1-163 (Beerala, 39.6 ov), 2-190 (Arun Kumar, 51.3 ov), 3-302 (Barrington, 87.4 ov), 4-311 (Naidu, 89.6 ov), 5-336 (Vijay, 97.5 ov), 6-370 (Vijay Bharadwaj, 113.5 ov), 7-421 (Akhil, 127.4 ov), 8-491 (Joshi, 144.2 ov), 9-508 (Prasad, 149.1 ov), 10-557 (Ganesh, 162.4 ov).
Bowling: Singh 19- 2- 84- 0 (12nb); Ahmed 21- 1- 114- 3 (15nb, 2w); Raju 58.4- 16- 144- 4; Satwalkar 13- 2- 38- 0 (4nb, 1w); Kanwaljit Singh 48- 6- 143- 3 (2nb); Azharuddin 3- 0- 16- 0 (2nb).

Hyderabad (2nd innings):
D Manohar c & b Ganesh 19
A Nandakishore lbw b Prasad 11
VVS Laxman b Vijay Bharadwaj 19
V Pratap c sub (KN Ramesh) b Vijay 100
P Satwalkar c Akhil b Vijay Bharadwaj 6
R Sheikh c Prasad b Barrington 25
M F Ahmed not out 40
Extras (b 4, lb 7, nb 5) 16
Total (6 wickets declared, 72.2 overs) 236
Did not bat: N P Singh, Mohd. Azharuddin, Kanwaljit Singh, S L V Raju.
Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Manohar, 6.6 ov), 2-32 (Nandakishore, 7.1 ov), 3-74 (Laxman, 25.2 ov), 4-93 (Satwalkar, 33.1 ov), 5-137 (Sheikh, 51.3 ov), 6-236 (Pratap, 72.2 ov).
Bowling: Ganesh 12- 1- 50- 1 (3nb); Prasad 14- 5- 29- 1; Vijay Bharadwaj 11- 3- 24- 2 (1nb); Khan 8- 3- 16- 0; Akhil 7- 2- 16- 0; Barrington 10- 1- 47- 1 (1nb); Vijay 8.2- 0- 36- 1; Arun Kumar 2- 0- 7- 0.

Day 4