Debutant R. Sonu Yadav (three for 30), M. Mohammed (three for 38), and skipper R. Sai Kishore (three for 54) scalped three wickets each and helped Tamil Nadu bowl out Saurashtra for 203 in the first innings on the first day of the opening round Ranji Trophy clash (Elite Group D) at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground on Friday. In reply, TN finished at none for none as the openers played out two maidens.
Electing to bat, Saurashtra lost opener Harvik Desai for a duck, out caught behind to Sonu Yadav in the fourth over. Chirag Jani and Prashwaraj Rana steadied things, adding 43 runs for the second wicket.
While Sonu was impressive, bowling a tight line, Jani punished debutant Gurjapneet Singh, driving and cutting the left-arm pacer through the off-side for five boundaries.
Post drinks, Mohammed got the host back into the game, striking twice in two overs to remove the set-batters. The medium-pacer had Jani edging to Shahrukh Khan at second slip and accounted for the left-handed Rana, who nicked a delivery that went across him to Boopathi Vaishna Kumar at third slip.
Sheldon Jackson and Cheteshwar Pujara then saw off the rest of the session, taking their side to 88 for three at the first interval.
The home team, though, turned things immediately after lunch when Sai Kishore bowled Pujara, squaring up the batter with a delivery that dipped and turned just enough to clip the off-stump. The left-arm spinner, the leading wicket-taker last year(53), was again impressive through his excellent control over length despite not getting much assistance from the surface.
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In the next over, Mohammed got one to hold its line and induced the edge from Jackson that flew to Shahrukh at second slip.
Only the experienced Arpit Vasavada held fort at one end for Saurashtra, scoring an unbeaten 62 while TN kept chipping away at the other end. The left-handed batter started positively driving Mohammed to the fence thrice in quick succession, twice through covers and once down the ground.
Vasavada and Prerak Mankad added 43 for the sixth wicket before Sai Kishore removed the latter.
Dharmendrasinh Jadeja threw his wicket away trying to take down part-time off-spinner Pradosh Ranjan Paul and holed out to Boopathi, who ran from mid-off to pouch a skier.
Vasavada found an ally in skipper Jaydev Unadkat, and the duo kept the TN bowlers at bay until Sai Kishore dismissed his opposite number trapped in front post tea. Sonu Yadav then cleaned up the tail, striking twice in one over to help TN gain the upper hand on day one.
On a pitch that has a gentle covering of grass, the onus is now on the TN batters to back up their bowlers’ efforts on day two and secure the crucial first-innings lead.
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