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Tamil Nadu lefthanders get it right

CHENNAI NOV. 19. Two seasoned campaigners played their parts well at different stages of the innings to enable Tamil Nadu gain first innings honours over last year's runner-up Baroda on the third day of the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite ground B encounter at the ICL-Guru Nanak College, here, on Tuesday.

Southpaw Sridharan Sriram held the innings together during the first half of the day while converting his overnight 66 into his 13th century (128, 297m, 207b, 15x4) in the National championship. Later, the other lefthander Sridharan Sharath notched up his 17th hundred (101, 291m, 204b, 12x4) as he guided the host past the opposition's score of 381 and reach 427. Sharath is now Tamil Nadu's highest centurymaker in Ranji Trophy, surpassing Robin Singh.

The game hung in the balance for most part of the day. Leading Baroda's charge was left-arm speedster Irfan Pathan, who displayed vigour and venom, and would have surely been a far difficult proposition had the pitch offered some assistance.

Resuming at 115 for two, fortunes fluctuated for the host, but thankfully Sriram and Sharath lent stability. Nightwatchman Shrinivas departed within the first 30 minutes. Sriram and J.R. Madanagopal, who struck left-arm spinner Valmik Buch for two sixes, got the innings moving with their 52-run fourth-wicket stand. After this, Sriram added 49 with Sharath before being caught at silly point while trying to sweep off-spinner Arothe. Interestingly, both batsmen reached the coveted mark with boundaries.

Hemang Badani didn't last long and at 256 for six, the contest was wide open. It was the 73-run stand for the seventh wicket between Sharath and debutant Dinesh Kaarthick that took Tamil Nadu to safe waters. The youngster blossomed in the company of the senior pro before becoming wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia's fifth victim, edging behind while chasing a wide delivery from mediumpacer Sukhbir Singh.

The lead was achieved during the 70-run stand for the next wicket between Sharath and D.J. Gokulakrishnan (who made a fine half-century), before the former was caught at slip off off-spinner Bhoite, who finished with four wickets.

The scores:

Baroda — 1st innings: 381.

Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: S. Suresh lbw b Pathan 0, S. Ramesh c Mongia b Bhoite 45, S. Sriram c Solanki b Arothe 128, M.R. Shrinivas c Mongia b Pathan 7, J.R. Madanagopal c Mongia b Joshi 25, S. Sharath c Buch b Bhoite 101, Hemang Badani c Mongia b Pathan 0, D. Kaarthick c Mongia b Sukhbir 37, D.J. Gokulakrishnan c sub (Chandorkar) b Bhoite 50, D. Dhandapani c sub (Chandorkar) b Bhoite 16, Karthikeyan (not out) 0; Extras (lb-1, w-12, nb-5) 18; Total: 427.

Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-97, 3-136, 4-188, 5-237, 6-256, 7-329, 8-399, 9-415.

Baroda bowling: Pathan 31-8-98-3, Sukhbir 11-2-33-1, Bhoite 28.2-5-84-4, Joshi 18-3-61-1, Buch 25-4-113-0, Arothe 10-2-37-1.

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