Playing in only his third First Class match, S. Ajith Ram (5/70) spun Tamil Nadu to an innings and 70-run win over Assam in the Ranji Trophy match here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
The young left-arm spinner secured his maiden five-wicket haul and finished with match figures of nine for 138, as he helped TN bowl out Assam for just 204 in the second innings on the fourth and final day.
Resuming at 66 for no loss, Assam - asked to follow on day three - needed to score 275 to make the hosts bat again but lost the plot in the first session as the TN spinners, led by Ajith Ram, ran through the side, losing six wickets before lunch.
Tamil Nadu’s march to victory started with skipper Sai Kishore (2/51) leading from the front by removing the openers.
The tall left-arm spinner got one to pitch on the rough and turn sharply to bowl the left-handed Rahul Hazarika, who tried to pad it away before removing Subham Mandal leg-before.
Ajith then took centre stage, taking three quick wickets. The 24-year-old is a brave spinner in the classical mould, relying on flight and loop rather than flatter trajectories, even when hit for boundaries.
Riyan Parag hit Ajith for two consecutive sixes down the ground, but the youngster kept tossing it up and, two balls later, had the batter edge it to the keeper, tripped by the extra bounce.
He then had skipper Gokul Sharma trapped in front before bowling Sarupam Purkayastha, who did not offer a shot to a delivery that drifted in.
Only Rishav Das (58) fought for the visitors, scoring a valiant half-century before pacer Sandeep Warrier had him caught in the slips with the second new ball.
Fittingly, Ajith Ram finished the job by taking the last two wickets as Tamil Nadu - knocked out of the competition before this game - scored its first win since 2020 in the Ranji Trophy.
The scores: Tamil Nadu (1st innings): 540; Assam (1st innings): 266.
Assam (2nd innings; f/o): Subham Mandal lbw b Sai Kishore 33, Rahul Hazarika b Sai Kishore 40, Rishav Das c Sai Sudharsan b Warrier 58, Riyan Parag c Jagadeesan b Ajith Ram 15, Gokul Sharma lbw b Ajith Ram 2, Abhishek Thakuri b Aparajith 11, Sarupam Purkayastha b Ajith Ram 1, Siddharth Sarmah c Indrajith b Aparajith 4, Akash Sengupta not out 25, Mukhtar Hussain st Jagadeesan b Ajith Ram 5, Sunil Lachit lbw b Ajith Ram 0, Extras (b-5, lb-5): 10; Total (in 88.1 overs): 204
Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-90, 3-105, 4-107, 5-128, 6-129, 7-148, 8-183, 9-188; Tamil Nadu Bowling: Trilok Nag 5-1-12-0, Aparajith 16-5-31-2, Warrier 6-1-11-1, Sai Kishore 28-9-51-2, Pradosh 4-1-4-0, Ajith Ram 24.1-6-70-5, Sai Sudharsan 1-0-4-0, Vijay Shankar 4-0-11-0.
Result: Tamil Nadu won by innings and 70 runs.
Player of Match: S. Ajith Ram
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