Two days before Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy Group B tie against Assam, Robin Uthappa hopped over to Shivaji Park after training with his team and had a session with his personal coach Praveen Amre at the nursery of Mumbai’s batsmanship. No wonder then that the duo was seen involved in a long chat after Uthappa ended the day unbeaten on 108 to bail Karnataka out of trouble.

“I came back to Mumbai from Kolkata and I told sir, “I wasn’t getting my swing. My feel wasn’t that great”. We practised at Shivaji Park for two days and he was confident in two days I’ll get my feel back,” says Uthappa. “I actually got it back and feel really good. I just want to capitalise on what I have done today and make it a big one.”

After being unable to come good in Karnataka’s first two games of the season, Uthappa has finally gotten into run-scoring mode.

Ever since he burst on to the domestic scene as a 17-year-old, you like to keep watching him bat. Similarly, as he has evolved into a mature cricketer and an individual, you feel like listening to him every time he talks.

Despite being on the fringes and having made several returns to India’s squad, Uthappa hasn’t really been able to cement his place in the team. Having crossed 30, one cannot help but wonder if he has given up on wearing the India jersey. Ask him if he has started entering into the “enjoying the game” phase, and he interrupts you right away.

“Absolutely not,” he says. “I love the game, I enjoy it but my dream is still very strong and I still believe I’ll play for India.

“That’s what drives me. If that doesn’t drive me, then I certainly won’t be playing cricket. I wouldn’t take up the spot of a youngster.

“I’ll keep trying. I genuinely think age is just a number and I just think I need to keep stacking up the runs. No more knocking on the doors, I need to break it down in a big way.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport / by Amol Karhadkar / Mumbai – October 29th, 2016

Assam’s first-innings century-maker Amit Verma seems to have passed the run-feast baton on to the Karnataka batsmen.

Seasoned Robin Uthappa and Karnataka’s stand-in captain Karun Nair made full use of the chances offered by the Assam fielders to pile on hundreds on Day Two in the Ranji Trophy Group B tie at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra-Kurla Complex facility. It helped Karnataka snatch the advantage in the contest.

Scorecard
At stumps, Karnataka – after restricting Assam to 325 in the morning with Verma running out of partners – was comfortably placed at 223 for two. If the unbeaten pair sees off the second new ball, due in 11 overs, on a wicket that still offers decent carry for pacers, then it would be interesting to see if Karnataka presses for an outright victory to mark the festivities.

The conditions were not at all threatening for Uthappa and Nair. But the situation in which they scored hundreds was remarkable. Pacerts Arup Das and Krishna Das had removed openers Mayank Agarwal and R. Samarth in the first three overs. Had wicket-keeper K. B. Arun Karthick latched on to a sharp chance down the leg side off the second ball Nair faced, Karnataka would have been three down with nothing much on the board.

But Nair survived, and thereafter, looked in little trouble. Uthappa played cautiously at the start but soon started playing his trademark drives. All four of his scoring strokes before lunch were boundaries, with a straight punch off Krishna Das the highlight among them.

On the first ball after lunch, Uthappa had a slice of luck. He nicked one from Abu Nechim Ahmed that pitched in the off-stump channel to Karthick, but the umpire consulted the television umpire to check if Ahmed had overstepped. The bowler didn’t have any part of his foot behind the crease. Uthappa, then, concentrated harder and preferred to go after the loose balls bowled by the spinners.

Nair survived another chance when he was dropped by Assam captain Gokul Sharma off leggie Amit Verma on 85, before he was outdone by Uthappa in the race for the hundred. While Uthappa steered Ahmed for his twelfth four to celebrate his 21st first-class century, Nair soon joined him in a similar fashion – a late cut off Verma that sped for a four.

source: http://www.sportstarlive.com / Sports Star Live.com / Home> Cricket / by Amol Karhadkar, Mumbai / October 28th, 2016

RASHMY TO LEAD

Nithin Thimmaiah and P.P. Rashmy will lead Karnataka’s teams at the inaugural Hockey India five-a-side national championships in Pune from October 26 to 30.

The teams: Men: Nithin Thimmaiah (Capt.), Jagdeep Dayal, D.S. Darshan, M.B. Aiyappa, Pradhan Somaiah, Rathan Muthanna, G. Shreyas, Abharan, and Pruthviraj.

Women: P.P. Rashmy (Capt.), M.P. Rohini, H.P. Sandya, Komala, Tanushree, Bhagyashree, Vishma, Kruthika and Niha.

RAVINDRA WINS

Ravindra Kumar and M. Sagar won round two of the South Zone MRF FMSCI INTSD Rally Championship here on Sunday. V. Santhosh Kumar and T. Nagarajan were second with A. Vinodh and D. Raghuraman third.

Other results: Ladies: 1. Malathi Bhavani (Sunitha Suresh), 2. Geetha Shetty (Bhargavi Shetty), 3. Asma Ashfaq (Julie James).

AKSHAY SHINES

Akshay (31 points) helped Bharath Sports Union to a 62-29 win over Viveks SC in the State under-16 basketball championship.

The results (semifinal league): Boys: Bharath SU 62 (Akshay 31) bt Viveks SC 29 (Pattu 12); YMMA 69 (Prashant 23) bt VNSC 49 (Vishal 14). Girls: Alva’s 38 (Nisarga 16) bt DYES Mandya 22 (Rakshitha 12); DYES Vidyanagar 31 (Harshitha 11) bt Beagles BC 18 (Sanjana 10).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports / October 26th, 2016

CRICKET / The dashing batsman confident of playing for India again

Robin Uthappa will not seek to keep wicket for Karnataka this Ranji Trophy season, believing it is best for “team chemistry.”

The 30-year-old shared the gloves with C.M. Gautam last time around, in an effort to bolster his credentials as a keeper-batsman, but the situation was recognised as not perhaps being ideal.

“Last season was a learning for me; I understood a little more about team chemistry,” Uthappa told The Hindu here on Thursday. “The chemistry works with CM keeping. And I respect that.

“Last year, we shared the duties but this year I’m going to allow CM to keep. And I think he should keep because it works well for the team. I don’t want to disturb that. For me it was a learning and I’ve accepted that learning and grown with that.”

After two glorious years, last season ended in disappointment for Karnataka, and Uthappa felt there was an element of things being taken for granted.

“Our batting didn’t fall into place. We couldn’t get 20 wickets. The rub of the green wasn’t going our way either. Eventually we missed the knockouts by a point. We were a little lacklustre in a few games.

“When the team’s good then sometimes you take things for granted. But we want to make amends for that this season. We’ve got the hunger, the drive, and motivation,” he said.

Not a fan of neutral venues

Uthappa admitted he was not a fan of playing at neutral venues. “I’ve been playing domestic cricket for 13 years and in the last three-four years crowds are actually turning up to watch Ranji Trophy games. It is very heartening. It is healthy for domestic cricket.

“To not see that happen this year would be a bit of a lull. I don’t know if this will last. I don’t know if this is the right way to go. But some teams were playing on such bad pitches that they were forced to take this option. Hopefully, it’s not something that will last too long,” he said.

Uthappa was last called up to the Indian team in 2015 following a good IPL season but was overlooked for the ODI and T20 tour of Zimbabwe this June. He was in fine form with the bat in the Ranji Trophy last season, scoring 759 runs at an average close to sixty.

“I have been staking a claim [for an India spot] every season. But it’s up to the selectors to make that call,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s disheartening. Especially when you watch other teams, other nations playing. You feel you’re missing out. But I do believe strongly that I will play again.

“People have seen me as flamboyant but not consistent. It’s taking time for people to relate to how I play. But consistency is something I’ve worked on. Hopefully people will take note again.”

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport / by Shreedutta Chidananda / Bengaluru – October 07th, 2016