The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Tamil Nadu in the driver’s seat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 26, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Tamil Nadu in the driver’s seat

Special Correspondent

Amarnath comes up with a brilliant spell

— Photo: K. Pichumani

VISIBLY ELATED: P. Amarnath took his maiden five-wicket haul as Tamil Nadu bowled out Karnataka to take the first innings lead.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu built a lead of 385 on the third day of the third round Ranji Trophy Super League match against Karnataka here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

After P. Amarnath’s maiden Ranji five-wicket haul had helped Tamil Nadu dismiss Karnataka for 221 and secure a first-innings lead of 200, the home side, deciding not to enforce the follow on, scored 185 for six in 61 overs.

Double strike

N.C. Aiyappa picked up three for 30 to enable Karnataka keep Tamil Nadu’s second innings in check. His double-strike in the space of three deliveries separated by the lunch break reduced the host to 17 for two.

The tall seamer had S. Anirudha caught splendidly by Robin Uthappa at gully as lunch was taken. After the interval, first-innings century-maker Abhinav Mukund gloved one down the leg-side for wicketkeeper Thilak Naidu to complete the catch.

Patient knock

Opener M. Vijay compiled a patient 47 (115b, 3x4, 2x6), adding 76 in 167 balls with captain S. Badrinath (46) for the third wicket. It was a period of restrictive bowling, typified by Akhil operating with men in run-saving positions. With the lead yet to cross 300, Badrinath was caught in the deep off a mis-timed pull shot.

Deserved wicket

Left-arm spinner K.P. Appanna, whose integrity of action and flight was impressive, had Vijay caught at slip for a deserved wicket. K. Shri Vasudeva Das chipped in with 23 before being consumed by an Aiyappa delivery that swung away from him. R. Srinivasan and R. Ramkumar batted till close after K.H. Gopinath had hit a floated full-toss from Sunil Joshi to mid-off.

Amarnath earlier answered Tamil Nadu’s call for wickets after Sunil Joshi and B. Akhil had seen off more than an hour’s play in the first session. Joshi singled out Ramkumar, hitting the left-arm spinner for five fours.

His partnership of 58 with B. Akhil took Karnataka past 200 before Amarnath struck.

The 25-year-old seamer trapped both batsmen in front and followed it up by having Vinay Kumar caught well at fine-leg off a short ball.

Ramkumar scalps four

Ramkumar won an appeal for leg-before against Aiyappa to end Karnataka’s first innings; he finished with four for 65.

Amarnath, who returned figures of five for 74, led the Tamil Nadu team off the field to applause.

The scores:

Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 421

Karnataka — 1st innings: R. Uthappa c Gopinath b Yomahesh 15, K.B. Pawan b Amarnath 3, S. Shinde b Ramkumar 45, C. Raghu lbw b Ramkumar 6, Y. Goud c Gopinath b Amarnath 34, T. Naidu c Anirudha b Ramkumar 36, B. Akhil lbw b Amarnath 33, S. Joshi lbw b Amarnath 33, R. Vinay Kumar c Suresh b Amarnath 5, K.P. Appanna (not out) 2, N.C. Aiyappa lbw b Ramkumar 5; Extras (nb-3, w-1): 4; Total (in 71.2 overs): 221.

Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-30, 3-58, 4-78, 5-140, 6-144, 7-202, 8-213, 9-214.

Tamil Nadu bowling: Yomahesh 16.3-3-56-1, Amarnath 21.3-8-74-5, Abhinav Mukund 1-0-6-0, Ramkumar 27.2-8-65-4, C. Suresh 5-1-20-0.

Tamil Nadu – 2nd innings: S. Anirudha c Uthappa b Aiyappa 11, M. Vijay c Akhil b Appanna 47, A. Mukund c Naidu b Aiyappa 0, S. Badrinath c Joshi b Vinay Kumar 46, K. Shri Vasudeva Das c Akhil b Aiyappa 23, R. Srinivasan (batting) 17, K.H. Gopinath c Uthappa b Joshi 9, R. Ramkumar (batting) 20; Extras (b-5, lb-4, w-3): 12; Total (for six wkts. in 61 overs): 185.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-17, 3-93, 4-128, 5-139, 6-155.

Karnataka bowling: Vinay Kumar 14-2-40-1, Aiyappa 13-4-30-3, Joshi 11-3-33-1, Akhil 7-1-19-0, Appanna 16-1-54-1.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport