Captain's Classy Century Rescues Karnataka.

Mayank Aggarwal have been an integral part of Karnataka cricket for over a decade. On Wednesday, it was essential that this batter led the way for Karnataka. The players from Karnataka team gifted their wickets to Saurashtra without any much hussle in the crucial semifinal clash. 

In a stark contrast, Agarwal put up a rock solid performance to singlehandedly pull his team out of a deep hole. Against Saurashtra at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here, the Karnataka skipper's defining and unconquered 110 coupled with his 117 run unbroken sixth-wicket partnership with Sharath Srinivas helped Karnataka to 229 for 5 in 87 overs on the opening day. 

In typical Bengaluru conditions, where seamers call the shots in the first hour, Aggarwal was patient as the bowlers got sufficient swing and bounce. He was handed a reprieve when Snell Patel grassed him off Prerak Mankad at second slip when he was on 13. Once the new ball began to wear, the opener came into his own. 

Aggarwal occupied the crease for 393 minutes even as wickets tumbled around him. Once he got his eye in his footwork against the spinners was classy and the boundaries came off cuts and fearless flicks as he picked up runs both on the off side and leg side. Saurashtra bowlers dominated in the first two sessions.