Vijay Hazare Trophy: Karnataka stave off Saurashtra in final to lift third title

Riding Mayank Agarwal’s magnificent knock and K Gowtham’s three-wicket haul, Karnataka defeated Saurashtra by 41 runs to win the 2018 Vijay Hazare Trophy in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Vijay Hazare Trophy final HIGHLIGHTS)

Agarwal stepped up with the bat once again, this time in the summit clash. His 79-ball 90 helped Karnataka win their third Vijay Hazare Trophy in five seasons.

Cheteshwar Pujara scored 94 but failed to take his side to a victory.

Pujara, Jadeja too slow

Chasing 254, Saurashtra got off to a poor start as they lost two wickets inside the first three overs.

Fast-bowler Prasidh Krishna removed opener Samarth Vyas and then got the better of D Jadeja, who tried to defend a short delivery but the ball took the inside edge and crashed onto his middle stump.

Batting at No. 4, Saurashtra captain Cheteshwar Pujara scored just seven off 34 balls before hitting his first boundary.

Pujara put on a 62-run stand with Avi Barot. In the anxiety to up the scoring rate, Barot was dismissed by Stuart Binny in the 18th over, leaving Saurashtra struggling at 77/3.

It was the turn of Ravindra Jadeja, who didn’t bowl due to a side strain, to give Saurashtra the momentum they desperately needed but he departed for 15 off 38 balls.

The duo of Pujara and Jadeja were kept under check by Binny and spinners K Gowtham and Pavan Deshpande and that’s why they could score only 24 off 60 balls for the fourth wicket.

Saurashtra then lost four wickets in a space of 34 runs before Pujara launched a counter-attack along with Kamlesh Makvana. But it was all too late as they were devoured by the ever-increasing run-rate.

Earlier, Agarwal continued to pile runs at will while other Karnataka batsmen capitulated in the face of some tidy bowling from Saurashtra on what seemed like a good wicket.

After being asked to bat, Karnataka lost captain Karun Nair for a duck in the second over. Shaurya Sanandia got some inward movement and that was enough to castle Nair’s off-stump.

In the very next over, KL Rahul -- who returned from South Africa just a day ago -- was run-out after facing just three balls.

Agarwal then combined with R Samarth to steady Karnataka’s innings and take their total past 100.

Samarth got a lifeline after being dropped by Mankad at gully in the sixth over.

The duo put on a 136-run stand before Agarwal fell to left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja in the 25th over. The Karnataka opener wanted to hit a flighted delivery over long-off boundary but didn’t generate the necessary power and Jaydev Unadkat did the rest.

Mankad then removed Samarth (48) and all-rounder Stuart Binny (5) in quick succession to leave Karnataka in all sorts of trouble.

While Samarth was bowled, Binny nicked a slower one straight to the wicket-keeper Avi Barot.

Deshpande and Shreyas Gopal tried to stabilise Karnataka’s innings but a brilliant direct hit from Arpit Vasavada sent Gopal packing.

Makvana, the Saurashtra offspinner, sparked Karnataka’s collapse and finished with career-best (in List A) 4/34.