Vijay Hazare Trophy: Tamil Nadu ends season with a consolation win

After skittling out Team Rajasthan for 141, TN faced little difficulty chasing as it romped home with more than half the overs remaining.

The host fielded as many as four spinners on what looked a sluggish wicket and captain Aparajith chose to bowl after winning the toss. His decision paid off as the visitor struggled to get a partnership going before wicketkeeper Chetan Bist (36) and Arjit Gupta (27) put together 47 runs off 65 balls for the fifth wicket. 

The lanky left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore, playing his first match, was impressive taking as many as five wickets for just 26 runs and in the process recorded his maiden five-wicket haul in a List A match. 

Offspinner R Ashwin, who missed the last match against Andhra, took a wicket off his first ball and then added another towards the end to finish with two for 37. TN reply began on a positive note with the diminutive left-handed opener scoring at a fast clip. 

Raju’s entertaining stay in the middle was cut short when he caught at point for 27 off 24 balls with six boundaries. 

Captain Aparajith 55 not out (59b, 9x4) and the in-form wicketkeeper N Jagadeesan 39 added 94 runs for the third wicket to seal the deal in their side’s favour. Speaking after the match, Sai Kishore felt his team’s inability to take wickets in the middle overs was one of the main reason’s for its early exit. 

“We didn’t take enough wickets in the middle overs. As a result we couldn’t stem the flow of runs,” said the 21-year-old. The tweaker said he wasn’t unduly worried about going unsold in this year’s IPL auction. 

“I thought some team would go for me. I had done really well in the TNPL which was televised. I was optimistic. However, I wasn’t that much disappointed that no one went for me.

I’m confident of what I’m and what I can do. For me it’s about giving my hundred percent every day and learning new things,” added Sai Kishore. Sai Kishore said coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s words of advice before the start of the tournament held him in good stead. 

“Before the oneday tournament started he (Kanitkar) told me that as a bowler I’m at my best when I attack the batsmen rather than containing them. He told me to trust my abilities and try to be as attacking as possible. That’s what I did today,” concluded Sai Kishore.

BRIEF SCORES: Team Rajasthan 141 in 38.2 overs (Arjit Gupta 27, Chetan Bist 36, R Sai Kishore 5/26) lost to Tamil Nadu 143/3 in 23.3 overs (V Ganga Sridhar Raju 27, N Jagadeesan 39, B Aparajith 55*). Points: Tamil Nadu 4 (8); Team Rajasthan 0 (8). 

FINAL STANDINGS: Group C: Andhra, Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Team Rajasthan, Gujarat.