Karnataka were trailing by 261 runs at stumps on Day 2 after bowling Mumbai out for 436 in the morning.
With both overnight batsmen - Siddhesh Lad and Nikhil Patil registering their maiden centuries, Mumbai added 94 runs to their score before losing the remaining five wickets. In reply, Robin Uthappa and R Samarth got the visitors off to a good start with a 93-run opening stand until the former was sent back.
Anchoring the innings, Samarth (85*) took Karnataka to stumps on 175/2 along with Manish Pandey.
Earlier, Lad was the first to return to the pavilion soon after reaching his hundred. The middle-order bat nicked Vinay Kumar to the wicketkeeper to return to the dressing room. Patil however, rallied on to take the team past the 400-run mark.
Shardul Thakur contributed 15 to help the team inch closer to 400 before handing a simple catch to short mid-wicket off Udit Patel.
When Karnataka’s turn came to bat, Uthappa scored at a steady pace and Samarth got off to an edgy start. Samarth opener survived on 13, as a Shardul Thakur delivery that found him leg-before wicket was adjudged a no-ball. Batting unhurriedly the pair, however, blunted the Mumbai attack until Harmeet Singh struck. The spinner trapped Uthappa lbw a run short of half-century in the last quarter of the session and gave Mumbai the crucial breakthrough. Kunal Kapoor who has replaced Lokesh Rahul in the team then joined Samarth in the middle and the pair took the side to 116/1 at Tea.
In the second over after tea Samarth reached his fifty with a single to point as he continued to prod on with Kapoor. The Mumbai bowlers toiled in search of a breakthrough but were kept at bay by the Karnataka batting pair. Mumbai captain, Aditya Tare, attacked with spinners – Harmeet and Girap – from both ends but to no avail as the batsmen continued to carry the innings forward. Towards the end of day’s play the skipper switched the bowlers’ ends and that move gave Mumbai their second wicket. Girap, castled Kapoor in the first over after the change of ends to halt the second-wicket partnership for 73.
The fall of wicket brought to crease Manish Pandey as Karnataka inched forward.
Brief scores
End of Day 1: Mumbai 1st inn 342/5 in 90 overs (S Lad 94*, Nikhil Patil 85*, A Tare 72, Vinay Kumar 2/65, U Patel 2/68)
End of Day 2: Mumbai 1st inn 436 all out in 117.1 overs (S Lad 106, N Patel 106, Vinay Kumar 4/88, U Patel 3/96); Karnataka 1st inn 175/2 in 60 overs (R Samarth 85*, R Uthappa 49, A Girap 1/53, Harmeet Singh 1/63)
