Chennai: Few would have bet on a mammoth total when Tamil Nadu were put in to bat on a grassy wicket against Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy. The tricky conditions foretold difficult times for the hosts, but the experienced toporder of TN fired on all cylinders to post a commanding score of 565 for eight before declaring.
Abhinav Mukund’s calculated knock of 240 was the cornerstone of TN’s strong first essay. Dinesh Karthik’s effervescent 133 and his 244-run stand for the fourth wicket with Abhinav poured salt into Saurashtra’s wounds. The fact that all the batsmen in top five scored, at least, a half-century reiterated Tamil Nadu’s willow power.
Saurashtra are already a wicket down with just 12 on the board (five overs) in their daunting chase, but it remains to be seen whether the home side have enough firepower in their bowling armoury to trouble the side spearheaded by run-machine Cheteshwar Pujara.
Under sunny conditions, the wicket seemed to have lost the sting after lunch on Friday.
The morning session saw Tamil Nadu adding 99 runs to their overnight total of 268 for two and claiming the wicket of B.
Aparajith was Saurashtra’s solitary success though they bowled a much better length and tied down the batsmen. It required a stinging short ball from Jaydev Unadkat to remove Aparajith, who was caught behind shortly after completing his half-century. The 19-yearold had put on 107 runs for the third wicket with Abhinav.
Dinesh, who was yet to score a half-century in Ranji this season, struggled a bit to read the moving balls off Chirag Jani.
Dinesh would have walked back to the pavilion right after lunch had Arpit Vasavada, at first slip, held on to the catch that came off a thick edge as a result of slicing hard an Jani delivery away from the body. That reprieve, however, made the wicket-keeper batsman more determined and he started toying with the bowling. Meanwhile, Abhinav, who has a penchant for big knocks, completed his sixth first-class double hundred in 387 balls, with a drive down the midwicket off leftarm spinner Vasavada.
With lofted cover-drives and well-timed pulls, Dinesh showed authority and the way he swept the spinners spoke of his confidence. From 94, Dinesh hoisted Makwana over
deep midwicket to bring his century in 160 balls and punished the off-spinner in the same over with two boundaries. He finally fell prey to Unadkat’s short-pitched delivery. An off-balance Dinesh topedged a pull.
Unadkat struck again in the same over to send R.Prasanna back and debutant B. Indrajith, too, swelled the left-arm pacer’s tally.
Abhinav’s long vigil at the crease — 701 minutes — ended when he missed a sweep to be bowled around his legs off Kamlesh Makwana.
Skipper L. Balaji declared the innings after he was bowled through the gates.
Saurashtra suffered an early setback when a mixup sent Sagar Jogyani back to the pavilion for a duck. The visitors survived another blow when an edge from Pujara off Aswin Crist fell short of second slip.
