NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu gained the upper hand in their Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Saurashtra in Coimbatore, with skipper R Sai Kishore leading from the front on the second day of the match.
Resuming the day at 23 for one, Sai Kishore (60) and Narayan Jagadeesan (37) established a solid partnership for the second wicket.
Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Sai Kishore and Baba Indrajith (80) steadied the innings with a crucial 49-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Sai Kishore, who had earlier taken five wickets in Saurashtra’s first innings, showcased his all-around skills by scoring his third first-class half-century before falling to Jaydev Unadkat.
The team found stability when Boopathi Kumar (65) and Indrajith combined for an impressive 119-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Indrajith, eyeing his 17th first-class hundred, fell to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, but the damage was already done as Tamil Nadu reached 300 for six at stumps.
Boopathi Kumar’s dismissal for 65 and the late dismissals of Vijay Shankar (14*) and Mohamed Ali (17*) marked the end of the day’s play.
With a lead of 117 runs and four first-innings wickets in hand, Tamil Nadu hold a strong position heading into the next day.
Saurashtra’s bowling unit, featuring a collective effort with all five bowlers among the wickets, will need to regroup to stage a comeback in the match.
Brief scores: Saurashtra 183 trail Tamil Nadu 300-6 (Baba Indrajith 80; Parth Bhut 2/76) by 117 runs.
(With PTI inputs)