MUMBAI: Tamil Nadu suffered a 76-run defeat to Punjab in Group E of the Vijay Hazare Trophy match here on Friday. After three successive wins, this is TN’s first defeat and it’s currently placed at third in the table with 12 points in four matches.

Riding on half-centuries from skipper Mandeep Singh who scored 68 (88b, 7x4, 1x6) and opener Prabhsimran Singh who made 58 (39b, 7x4, 3x6), Punjab set TN a target of 252. At one stage, Punjab was in a spot of bother at 184 for eight but Siddarth Kaul scored a useful 29 (28b, 2x4, 2x6) to take his side past the 250-mark. TN’s B Aparajith was the pick of the bowlers taking three wickets for 49 runs. The chase went awry for TN with it losing early wickets, being reduced to 40 for four in the ninth over. Punjab pacer Kaul did most of the damage taking five wickets for 50 runs, while left-arm spinner Prerit Dutta chipped in with three wickets for 32 runs. TN skipper Dinesh Karthik waged a spirited battle scoring 93 (82b, 13x4, 4x6), but with little support from others, his team was dismissed for 175 with more than 15 overs remaining.