The first day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group ‘B' match between Tamil Nadu and Haryana here at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium featured a battle of attrition on a slow, low track that has already begun to take turn.
The momentum shifted several times on Thursday, as Priyank Tehlan (95, 147b, 9x4, 1x6) and the host's bowlers, led by captain L. Balaji (three for 34), fought for control. Haryana, which ended the day on 264 for seven from 90 overs, will be satisfied with its position considering the situation at lunch.
Solid startADVERTISEMENT
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The touring side began solidly after winning the toss. Openers Nitin Saini (43) and Rahul Dewan put on 48 before off-spinner Sunny Gupta had the latter smartly caught by R. Prasanna at short-leg. The score had progressed to 83 for one when Gupta struck again, trapping the left-handed Abhimanyu Khod leg-before-wicket.
Balaji returned in his second spell to leave Haryana reeling. He forced Saini to play on before bowling Manav Sharma with an in-ducker that kept low. When he caught Sachin Rana off his own bowling, Balaji had claimed three wickets in eleven deliveries for one run. Haryana went to lunch at 90 for five.
Remarkable maturityADVERTISEMENT
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Tehlan and Prateek Pawar, both of whom are playing only their second first class game, batted with remarkable maturity after the interval.
The 23-year-old Tehlan's footwork and touch when playing spin was impressive: he went back in his crease to cut and late-cut against the break when Gupta or fellow off-spinner B. Aparajith, who bowled better than his figures suggest, dropped their lengths. He also danced down the track confidently to loft the ball — something his cousin, Virender Sehwag, is fond of doing.
After his 81-run stand with Pawar, Tehlan added 66 with Amit Mishra (31 batting) to bolster Haryana. But he fell five short of a well-deserved maiden hundred. Left-arm spinner R. Aushik Srinivas, bowling from over the wicket, had the batsman caught at short-leg for his second wicket. Srinivas' first — that of Pawar — involved a fine bit of glove-work from Dinesh Karthik.
The scores:Haryana — 1st innings: N. Saini b Balaji 43, R. Dewan c Prasanna b Sunny Gupta 22, A. Khod lbw Sunny Gupta 14, M. Sharma b Balaji 3, S. Rana c & b Balaji 2, P. Tehlan c Prasanna b Aushik Srinivas 95, P. Pawar st Dinesh Karthik b Aushik Srinivas 23, A. Mishra (batting) 31, D. Singh (batting) 12; Extras (b-5, lb-4, n-10): 19. Total (for seven wkts in 90 overs): 264.
Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-83, 3-88, 4-89, 5-90, 6-171, 7-237.
Tamil Nadu bowling: Balaji 13-1-34-3, Yomahesh 12-1-45-0, Aushik Srinivas 24-4-56-2, Sunny Gupta 21-6-50-2, Aparajith 16-3-58-0, Kaushik Gandhi 4-1-12-0.