Tamil Nadu recovers after poor start

Resuming the day on 224 for 7, Madhya Pradesh was bowled out in less than an hour of play on Saturday morning. In reply, however, Tamil Nadu was left tottering at 76 for 6, with the new ball pair of Ishwar Pandey and Puneet Datey bagging three wickets apiece, before the rescue act took place. Apart from Jagadeesan and Mahesh, Baba Indrajith was the only batsman to register double-digit score. 

The day started positively for Tamil Nadu when the impressive K Vignesh dismissed Mihir Hirwani for 17 with the score on 226. The burly pacer Ishwar Pandey struck a few lusty blows in his brief cameo of 29 that came of only 17 balls and included three fours and two sixes. The tall left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore, playing in his second first-class match, took his first wicket at this level when he cut short Pandey’s entertaining knock. 

Wicketkeeper Jagadeesan was promoted up the order and opened the innings with captain Abhinav Mukund in the absence of Murali Vijay. The start was nightmarish as TN kept losing wickets regularly and was staring down the barrel at 76 for six. Vice-captain B Indrajith was one of only two batsmen in the top eight, apart from Jagadeesan, to enter double digits. Just when it looked like the visitor would get bowled out for less than 100, comeback man V Yo Mahesh, in the company of Jagadeesan, steadied the ship with a composed unbeaten knock of 44 (94b, 1x4, 3x6). Tamil Nadu’s hopes of securing the vital first innings lead will hinge on the two batsmen in the middle. 

In the all-important clash, Tamil Nadu is trailing Madhya Pradesh by 73 runs with three wickets in hand.

Madhya Pradesh (first innings) A Shrivastava c N Jagadeesan b M Mohammed 13, R Patidar c Mukund b M Mohammed 11, S Sharma c N Jagadeesan b K Vignesh 8, D Bundela c Aparajith b K Vignesh 20, H Singh c Sai Kishore b K Vignesh 4, A Dane c Indrajith b Washington Sundar 63, A Sharma c N Jagadeesan b M Mohammed 77, P Datey c Indrajith b Washington Sundar 0, M Hirwani c Yo Mahesh b K Vignesh 17, A Khan not out 6, I Pandey c Yo Mahesh b Sai Kishore 29. Extras 16. Total (in 90.1 overs) 264

FoW: 1-25, 2-40, 3-52, 4-64, 5-67, 6-187, 7-187, 8-226, 9-230 Bowling: Yo Mahesh 10-3-48-0, M Mohammed 19-2-67-3, K Vignesh 24-8-32-4, Vijay Shankar 7-1-42-0, M Rangarajan 8-0-20-0, R Sai Kishore 11.1-2-29-1, Washington Sundar 11-4-16-2

Tamil Nadu (first innings) N Jagadeesan batting 94, A Mukund b P Datey 5, V Shankar c A Dane b P Datey 0, B Indrajith c A Dane b I Pandey 25, B Aparajith b I Pandey 0, Washington Sundar c D Bandela b P Datey 9, M Rangarajan lbw b I Pandey 8, Yo Mahesh batting 44. Extras 6. Total (for six wickets in 67 overs) 191 

FoW: 1-19, 2-19, 3-38, 4-54, 5-71, 6-76 Bowling: I Pandey 18-10-36-3, P Datey 17-636-3, A Khan 16-2-46-0, H Singh 6-2-10-0, A Sharma 7-0-42-0, M Hirwani 3-0-19-0