Tamil Nadu Dominates as Saurashtra Struggles in Ranji Trophy Clash

Tamil Nadu Dominates as Saurashtra Struggles in Ranji Trophy Clash

Saurashtra found themselves in deep trouble in their Ranji Trophy Group D opener against Tamil Nadu, ending the third day at a precarious 35/5 in their second innings. This left them trailing by 129 runs, with Tamil Nadu firmly in control. Cheteshwar Pujara, a key player for Saurashtra, couldn’t find his rhythm and was dismissed for a duck after facing just six balls.

Tamil Nadu’s left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh was the star of the day, tearing through the Saurashtra lineup. His incredible figures of 9-5-7-4 left the visitors reeling. Saurashtra’s task looks monumental as they still trail by a significant margin at the close of play.

In the first innings, Saurashtra conceded a massive lead of 164 runs after Tamil Nadu posted 367, having resumed their innings from an overnight score of 278/3. Jaydev Unadkat, who returned excellent figures of 6/61 from his 24 overs, was Saurashtra’s standout bowler, but Tamil Nadu’s strong batting lineup, led by N Jagadeesan’s century (100) and Sai Sudharsan’s 82, ensured they built a commanding total.

Gurjapneet Singh’s Heroics: Pujara Falls Early

Cheteshwar Pujara, who had managed to score 16 in the first innings, was dismissed in the second innings without troubling the scorers. Gurjapneet Singh trapped the veteran Indian batsman in front of the stumps, a huge blow for Saurashtra as they look to survive.

At the close of play, Arpit Vasavada (15*) and Sheldon Jackson (5*) were holding the fort for Saurashtra, but with half the side back in the pavilion, their chances of avoiding defeat appear slim.

Other Ranji Trophy Matches: Railways, Delhi, and Jharkhand Take Command

Meanwhile, in Chandigarh, Railways secured a convincing win over the hosts, triumphing by 181 runs. Chandigarh, needing 341 to win, folded for 159 in just 40.2 overs. Akash Pandey (4/46), Karn Sharma (3/18), and Himanshu Sangwan (2/28) were the chief destroyers for Railways. Despite some resistance from Arslan Khan (46) and Ankit Kaushik (45), Chandigarh could not put up much of a fight.

In another match in Raipur, Delhi gained a slender 14-run lead in their first innings against Chhattisgarh. Thanks to Jonty Sidhu’s unbeaten century (103*), Delhi posted 357, slightly ahead of Chhattisgarh’s 343. At stumps, Chhattisgarh had moved to 33/0, edging ahead by 19 runs.

Over in Guwahati, Assam were in a tough spot, leading by just 51 runs in their second innings at 130/3 after following on. Jharkhand had earlier posted 361 in their first innings, and Assam struggled to respond, being bowled out for a paltry 180. Sibsankar Roy’s 42 was the only significant contribution for Assam as Utkarsh Singh and Manishi shared the spoils with three wickets apiece.

Match Summaries

• At Coimbatore: Tamil Nadu 367 (N Jagadeesan 100, Sai Sudharsan 82, Jaydev Unadkat 6/61) lead Saurashtra 203 & 35/5 (Arpit Vasavada 15*, Gurjapneet Singh 4/7) by 129 runs.
• At Chandigarh: Railways 142 & 307 beat Chandigarh 109 & 159 (Arslan Khan 46, Akash Pandey 4/46, Karn Sharma 3/18) by 181 runs.
• At Raipur: Chhattisgarh 343 & 33/0 lead Delhi 357 (Jonty Sidhu 103*, Himmat Singh 65) by 19 runs.
• At Guwahati: Jharkhand 361 lead Assam 180 & 130/3 (Parves Musaraf 57*) by 51 runs.

Conclusion

As Tamil Nadu asserts dominance in their match against Saurashtra, other games across the country are also providing thrilling moments. Railways clinched a solid win, Delhi is fighting hard against Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand is pushing Assam into a corner. The Ranji Trophy season is off to a gripping start, and the coming days promise more intense cricketing action.