Buchi Babu Tournament: Chhattisgarh reaches final after tame draw against TNCA XI

A draw seemed apparent on Wednesday when Chhattisgarh, having secured the first-innings lead for a guaranteed spot in the final, chose not to enforce the follow-on.

TNCA XI’s Lakshay Jain celebrates with teammates. | Photo Credit: Karthikeyan G/The Hindu

Off-spinner Lakshay Jain completed his five-wicket haul (five for 64) as Chhattisgarh reached 207 for eight in its second innings for the match to end in a tame draw on day four of the Buchi Babu Memorial All India invitational cricket tournament semifinal at the NPR College cricket ground in Natham on Thursday.

A draw seemed apparent on Wednesday when Chhattisgarh, having secured the first-innings lead for a guaranteed spot in the final, chose not to enforce the follow-on.

Lakshay finished with a match haul of 10 for 216.

He got appreciable turn for a couple of dismissals. Mohammad Irfan (10) missed his front-foot block, as the ball turned and hit his back pad for him to be dismissed leg-before wicket (lbw). Amandeep Khare (77, 94b, 8x4, 2x6) missed his expansive cover-drive for the ball to turn and hit the stumps.

Amandeep hit two straight sixes - off left-arm spinner Ajith Ram and medium-pacer Nidhish S. Rajagopal. He was involved in a 60-run seventh-wicket stand with left-hander Gagandeep Singh (30, 91b, 2x4, 1x6).

Earlier, Jeevesh Butte (5) received a full delivery on his front boot in front of the middle stump, and was given leg-before wicket off pacer Achyuth. Left-hander Anuj Tiwari (40, 112b, 2x4, 1x6) departed six overs later, when he missed his sweep off Lakshay.

The umpires ended the match at 2.12 p.m. after a discussion with the captains.

THE SCORES (SEMIFINAL, DAY FOUR)

Chhattisgarh 467 in 150.5 overs (Ayush Pandey 82, Anuj Tiwari 93, Amandeep Khare 97, Prateek Yadav 109, Ajith Ram 4/115, Lakshay Jain 5/152) & 207/8 in 82 overs (Anuj Tiwari 40, Amandeep Khare 77, Lakshay Jain 5/64) drew with TNCA XI 194 in 64.4 overs (Gagandeep Singh 4/34).