Debutant batter Kishan S. Bedare (62, 121b, 9x4), skipper Mayank Agarwal (51, 100b, 10x4) and pacer V. Vyshak (50 batting, 61b, 7x4) saved Karnataka’s blushes on day one of its Ranji Trophy Group-C match against Tripura at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium here on Friday.
A new-look Karnataka side that had as many as four first-timers — Kishan (25 years), batter K.V. Aneesh (22), all-rounder Hardik Raj (17) and off-spinner K. Shashikumar (21) — found itself at 16 for three after being asked to bat first.
Speedster Rana Datta sent back the seasoned R. Samarth — who returned in place of the injured D. Nischal — and K.V. Aneesh, with the former caught behind and the latter bowled. Fellow speed merchant Mura Singh accounted for vice-captain Nikin Jose to leave the visitors reeling.
