The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : TN steamrolls Baroda

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TN steamrolls Baroda

Special Correspondent

BARODA: Tamil Nadu’s pace attack rose to the challenge for the second time in three days; this time steamrolling Baroda in the second innings for a resounding 259-run victory in their four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group B fifth round match.

Laxmipathy Balaji (five for 47) and Palani Amarnath (one for 23) kept the home batsmen guessing around the off-stump, while Chandrasekhar Ganapathy (four for 24) dealt the knockout blows to dismiss Baroda for 94 after tea on day three.

Dinesh Karthik’s ruthless 123 earlier on the same Motibaug wicket, spread over two days, had stretched the visitor’s total to 402 in the second essay, a lead of 353. The Tamil Nadu captain’s responsible batting was, however, lost on Yusuf Pathan, the Baroda vice-captain.

Walking in at 50 for four and more than a day’s play remaining, Yusuf launched into the bowling as if cornered. Balaji could have nailed him on zero when a lofted drive arched towards R. Ashwin at mid-on. But the fielder fumbled.

Pathan’s reckless 17-ball stint ended when C. Suresh held him at deep fine leg off Ganapathy. Balaji and Amarnath startled the Baroda openers with pace and lift, while Ganapathy moved the ball enough to keep ’keeper Karthik and the slip fielders busy.

For Baroda, except Azhar Bilakhia, the others appeared clueless. Bilakhia lashed six boundaries in a stroke-filled 25 from 24 balls. Youngsters Argal (four for 59) and Swapnil Singh (two for 60) kept their side in the hunt, only for the experienced batsmen to give it away. TN increased its tally to 20 after five games, Baroda remains on nine.

The scores:

Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 117.

Baroda — 1st innings: 166.

Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: A. Karthik lbw b Pawar 43, A. Mukund (run out) 12, R. Prasanna c Parab b Veragi 92, D. Karthik c Gaekwad b Argal 123, S. Vidyut c Pinal b Veragi 47, S. Suresh st. Pinal b Singh 12, R. Ashwin lbw b Argal 31, C. Ganapathy b Argal 0, C. Suresh c Pathan b Singh 0, L. Balaji c Williams b Argal 13, P. Amarnath (not out) 0; Extras: (b-12, lb-11, nb-2, w-4) 29; Total: (in 112.4 overs) 402.

Fall of wickets: 1-64, 2-66, 3-266, 4-343, 5-344, 6-383, 7-388, 8-389, 9-389.

Baroda bowling: Veragi 24-7-73-2, Argal 19.4-8-59-4, Pawar 30-3-106-1, Yusuf 19-2-81-0, Swapnil 20-4-60-2.

Baroda — 2nd innings: S. Parab c Mukund b Balaji 11, C. Williams c D. Karthik b Amarnath 3, A. Bilakhia c D. Karthik b Balaji 25, R. Solanki c A. Karthik b Balaji 0, S. Gaekwad (not out) 37, Yusuf c C. Suresh b Ganapathy 7, P. Shah c D. Karthik b Ganapathy 0, S. Singh b Ganapathy 0, R. Pawar c D. Karthik b Ganapathy 6, A. Argal b Balaji 4, S. Veragi c D. Karthik b Balaji 0; Extras: (w-1) 1; Total: (in 24.5 overs) 94.

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-14, 4-50, 5-67, 6-67, 7-67, 8-85, 9-94.

Tamil Nadu bowling: Balaji 11.5-2-47-5, Amarnath 6-2-23-1, Ganapathy 7-2-24-4.

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