Kaushik Gandhi hit his maiden double ton, scoring 202 in first-class cricket, followed by Vijay Shankar's 102 as Tamil Nadu declared its first innings on 580 for six in 229 overs on the final day of the ninth round of Group-A Ranji trophy match against Gujarat at the KSCA stadium here.
Either team, with 26 points each, enters quarterfinals along with Mumbai (30 points) from the group.
As play resumed, Gujarat bowled thirty four overs till lunch; including three part-time pacemen - Priyank Panchal, Bhargav Merai and captain Axar Patel.
Axar chose not to bowl his chief paceman Rush Kalaria. But nothing could render the fifth wicket stand between Kaushik Gandhi and Vijay Shankar defunct, until Vijay Shankar himself got retired hurt with a back spasm, leaving the ground after building up a massive 156-run partnership, contributing 68 off 170 balls. He got to his fifty off 131 balls. By lunch, Tamil Nadu was on 480 for four in 190 overs.
Kaushik raised his double hundred with a four off a square cut off Hardik Patel, post lunch. He had hit 25 fours to reach the mark. Four balls later, he was bowled, trying to square cut the same bowler again.
Aswin Crist, who was in next, hit the first six of the match between long on and deep midwicket. Soon after, he sought a loft over mid-off, but was caught there off Hardik.
Vijay Shankar resumed his innings with a shrewd late cut for four off Hardik. He, with Baba Aparajith for company, dragged Tamil Nadu to 550 for six in 216 overs.
Aparajith ran up his fifty with three fours off 135 balls, Vijay claimed his first hundred of the season with 13 fours off 226 balls, and their seventh wicket partnership went past the 50-run mark. Vijay retired again and Tamil Nadu declared as the captains agreed for the play to be called off early.
Comments
SHARE