Skipper Motwani eyes Maharastra total

Chennai: Maharashtra skipper Rohit Motwani was a pleased man on Wednesday after his side finished the opening day of the Ranji final against Karnataka on top, though he didn’t want to show it. “I would say honours were shared today,” Motwani said.

Maharashtra, after electing to bat first, scored 272 for the loss of five wickets. Considering they suffered a couple of early blows, it was pleasing position to be in.

“The first session tomorrow will be most crucial. Hopefully Ankit Bawne and Sangram Atitkar would be able to pick up from where they left off. If we don’t lose a wicket till lunch, then we would be in a strong position,” he said.

Motwani considers this a 450-run wicket, though he admits there is a hint of reverse swing.

“Hopefully, Bawne and Atitkar would be able to add 100-150 runs. I think 400 is the minimum we should score. Once we cross that score, then perhaps the tail-enders could chip and take the score past 450.

“There was some reverse swing early on, around the 22nd or 23rd over. So far, we have played only on pitches that helped conventional swing, but I’m sure our bowlers are up to the task on the rougher pitch (whic would scuff the ball and facilitate reverse swing) here,” he said.

Motwani added it was a shame they lost five wickets. “None of them were wicket-taking deliveries. We just played poor shots.”

Karnataka left-arm pacer S. Aravind thinks the day went well for them. “I think it was a good day for us. We would like to restrict them to 325-350 and take it from there,” he said.