Tamil Nadu was expected to roll over Andhra in a familiar terrain. Then came the shock to the system.
Nine fielders guarded the boundary line, the medium-pacers bowled wide outside off and the captain and senior cricketers were locked in heated on-field discussions.
On Monday, this sleepy Group C Ranji contest came alive as temperatures rose at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Set a demanding target of 218 in 42 overs on the final day, the audacious Andhra made the host sweat before finishing 20 runs short, losing seven wickets in pursuit of runs.
The hosts survived a scare, but only just, as the dust settled on a humdinger. Andhra took three points and Tamil Nadu one.
Going into the last three overs, the visitors required 32 runs with six wickets in hand. Tamil Nadu, however, pulled it back. Paceman K. Vignesh bowled well beyond off — the wide rules of the limited-over format do not apply in the game’s longer version — and conceded only two runs in the 40th over while picking up the enterprising B. Sumanth’s wicket.
Skipper Hanuma Vihari kept Andhra in the hunt — he smote Ashwin for a six over mid-wicket — and the visitors needed 20 off the last over. In the 15th mandatory over, Vignesh got Vihari to hole out in the deep and did not give away a run before the teams agreed to call off the game with two deliveries remaining.
The pitch held firm — these neutral curators are not likely to prepare pitches that disintegrate. Ashwin came under attack as the India off-spinner went for 92 runs in 16 overs, regularly being struck over the mid-wicket fence.
D.B. Prashanth Kumar (33) and the aggressive K.S. Bharath (64, 86, 5x4, 2x6) put on 85 for the first wicket in 23.1 overs.
The intrepid Bharat cover-drove, swept and lofted with panache. He clubbed left-arm spinner Rahil Shah for a six over long-on before missing a swipe off the next one to be castled.
Then, Ricky Bhui (40, 40b, 1x4, 3x6) biffed some big blows, clearing the fence with ease. Vignesh, though, snared him close to the mid-wicket ropes.
With Tamil Nadu setting deep fields, singles were there for the taking while boundaries were hard. Apart from running hard, Andhra had to strike sixes and it did so on a consistent basis to keep the target within its reach. But then, this was a day Tamil Nadu managed to hold on.
Earlier, Tamil Nadu had declared at 350 for six, with B. Aparajith notching up an unbeaten 108 (212b, 10x4), skipper Abhinav Mukund making 95 (200b, 7x4) and M. Vijay scoring 55 (93b, 4x4, 1x6).
Tamil Nadu scored runs briskly on day four, gathering 238 in 51 overs against the 112 in 54 on Sunday. Abhinav displayed greater purpose working the ball around and drilling the ball through the gaps, the strokeful Aparajith batted with poise and balance, and Vijay, returning to the crease after straining his ankle, batted with the ease of a natural.
Then came Andhra’s incredible chase.
The scores:
Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 176.
Andhra — 1st innings: 309.
Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: A. Mukund c Ayyappa b Bhatt 95, M. Vijay c Hebbar b Prashanth Kumar 55, Kaushik Gandhi c Bharath b Prithviraj 7, B. Indrajith c Bharath b Bhatt 16, B. Aparajith (not out) 108, R. Ashwin c Ayyappa b Prithiviraj 15, M.S. Washington Sundar c Bhui b Prithviraj 20, N. Jagadeesan (not out) 20; Extras (nb-2, w-2, b-3, lb-2, penalty-5): 14; Total (for six wkts. decl. in 105 overs): 350.
Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-79, 3-192, 4-220, 5-253, 6-325.
Andhra bowling: A. Bandaru 24-7-58-0, Y. Prithviraj 20-2-61-3, Bhargav Bhatt 37-2-123-2, Shoaib Mohammad 19-2-65-0, Ashwin Hebbar 2-0-8-0, Prashanth Kumar 3-0-25-1.
Andhra — 2nd innings: D. B. Prashanth Kumar c & b Rahil 33, K.S. Bharat b Rahil 64, Ricky Bhui c Aparajith b K. Vignesh 40, B. Sumanth c Jagadeesan b K. Vignesh 25, Ashwin Hebbar b Ashwin 20, G.H. Vihari c Washington b K. Vignesh 13, B. Ayyappa c Aparajith b Ashwin 0, Bhargav Bhatt (not out) 0, Shoaib Mohammad (not out) 0; Extras (b-2, lb-1): 3; Total (for seven wkts. in 41.4 overs): 198.
Fall of wickets: 1-85, 2-114, 3-161, 4-185, 5-187, 6-189, 7-198.
Tamil Nadu bowling: K. Vignesh 7.4-0-34-3, R. Ashwin 16-1-92-2, Rahil Shah 11-2-46-2, Washington Sundar 6-1-15-0, L. Vignesh 1-0-8-0.
