S. Ajith Ram scalped his second five-wicket haul of the season in as many matches to assist Tamil Nadu take a vital 161-run first-innings lead in opposition to Punjab on the third day of the ultimate Ranji Trophy league match on the Salem Cricket Foundation floor right here on Sunday.
TN skipper Sai Kishore then enforced the follow-on, and Ajith added three extra to his kitty within the second innings. However, Nehal Wadhera stole the present within the ultimate session with a swashbuckling unbeaten hundred (103 n.o., 101b, 11×4, 4×6) to assist Punjab wipe the deficit and end on 180 for 4 – 19 runs within the lead.
The Mandeep Singh-led aspect resumed the day on 141 for 4 and bundled out for 274 within the first innings, with Ajith (six for 83) working by the decrease order with an attacking line concentrating on the stumps.
Asked to bat once more, the guests got here out swinging with nothing to lose. Though Ajith had Prabhsimran Singh trapped leg-before early, Abhishek Sharma took aside Sai Kishore, hitting him for 5 sixes in a single over, three straight down the bottom and two over mid-wicket.
But the house aspect had the final snort when Pradosh Ranjan Paul castled Abhishek when he tried to go for an enormous slog sweep. Ajith Ram then spun one previous Anmolpreet Singh to take his off-stump to cut back Punjab to 38 for 3. Just when the hosts appeared on high, Wadhera placed on a present of his shot-making skills and entertained the sparse crowd on the venue.
The left-handed batter toyed with the spinners, utilizing the sweep pictures – reverse and standard – to seek out boundaries at will. The 23-year-old acquired a reprieve when substitute Vimal Khumar dropped him at short-third whereas making an attempt a reverse simply earlier than tea. He later swatted Sandeep Warrier over long-on and pulled him over midwicket, attending to his 100 off simply 96 balls, with the second 50 coming in simply 35 deliveries.
With Gujarat getting solely six factors in its match in opposition to Goa, TN can enter the quarterfinals even when it attracts this encounter, and ties with Gujarat on 25, progressing by advantage of getting two bonus factors.
SCORES
Tamil Nadu – 1st innings: 435
Punjab – 1st innings: Prabhsimran Singh lbw b Ajith Ram 24, Abhishek Sharma c Lokeshwar b Warrier 7, Anmolpreet Singh b Ali 41, Nehal Wadhera b Ajith Ram 43, Mandeep Singh c Sai Kishore b Ajith Ram 39, Anmol Malhotra (not out) 64, Sanvir Singh st Lokeshwar b Sai Kishore 39, Prerit Dutta b Ajith Ram 1, Siddharth Kaul c Jagadeesan b Sai Kishore 0, Jass Inder Singh b Ajith Ram 7, Sukhwinder Singh lbw b Ajith Ram 0, Extras (b-8, lb-1): 9; Total (in 93.5 overs): 274
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-37, 3-108, 4-131, 5-175, 6-247, 7-252, 8-253, 9-274
TN bowling: Warrier 11-1-49-1, Mohammed 7-1-19-0, Ajith Ram 27.5-5-83-6, Sai Kishore 33-11-72-2, Pradosh 4-1-15-0, Ali 11-3-27-1.
Punjab – 2nd innings (following-on): Prabhsimran Singh lbw b Ajith Ram 2, Abhishek Sharma b Pradosh 36, Anmolpreet Singh b Ajith Ram 0, Mandeep Singh (batting) 14, Nehal Wadhera (batting) 103, Anmol Malhotra b Ajith Ram 20, Extras (b-4, w-1): 5
Total (for 4 wkts in 40 overs): 180
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-38, 3-38, 4-140
TN Bowling: Sai Kishore 11-2-55-0, Ajith Ram 10-2-42-3, Pradosh 4-0-12-1, Ali 9-0-37-0, Warrier 5-1-29-0, Mokit 1-0-1-0.
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com
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