The Ranji Trophy semi final dawned on April 11 and Karnataka, having received a bye into the semis by virtue of being holders, came up against the full might of Hyderabad. On home turf, Karnataka would normally have gone in as favourites but the withdrawal of Kumble, Dravid and Srinath had significantly altered the stakes. And after the visitors had piled up 711 in their first innings, Karnataka were right behind the eight ball.

Mithun Beerala and Arun Kumar opened the innings after having spent nearly fourteen hours in the field and showed no signs of weariness as they waded into the Hyderabad attack with gusto. Beerala showed greater enterprise of the two, punching Fiaz Ahmed into the covers off the backfoot, for his first boundary. Indeed his next four hits to the fence were all driven elegantly through the off side. It was breathtaking stuff and Karnataka's fifty came up in the 9th over off just 47 minutes.

The slighest hint of an overpitched delivery was seized by Beerala and leaning into it, he would cream the ball on the rise. The runs were cascading along as Karnataka went into lunch at 84/0 in 17 overs, averaging almost five an over. Raju had been introduced into the attack by now but it made no difference to the scoring rate. Beerala confidently went forward to smother the spin and when the loose ball arrived, it was banished from his presence. When he drove Raju off his legs through midwicket, it signalled his half century, off just ninety balls.

Beerala also unveiled a rasping square cut; twice the ball was pitched a shade short and wide and he sent it disappearing into the point region. A close call followed when he played forward with bat and pad close together and the ball wormed its way into silly point's hands, but the umpire showed no interest in the resulting appeal. Having progressed to 74 (128 balls, 13 fours), Beerala flicked Kanwaljit into the safe hands of Azharuddin at short midwicket. It was a solid platform for the innings but Beerala must have been kicking himself for missing out on a hundred which was there for the taking.