TN lose plot & match despite twin centuries

CHENNAI: It keeps getting worse for Tamil Nadu. Just as they seem to be getting things right, something goes wrong. Having batted well for three sessions in the second innings against Himachal Pradesh, they lost seven wickets in 21 overs after lunch on the last day and with it the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match in Dharamsala.

Though the match was inconsequential for the visitors since their chances of qualifying were gone, they had raised hopes of at least salvaging a draw and a point. Riding on centuries from Abhinav Mukund and Baba Indrajith, they had erased the first-innings deficit of 236 and at 312 for three, things were looking good for them.

But lack of depth in batting came back to haunt them. Despite skipper Indrajith holding up one end, there was no support for him No 6 downwards. Once they were all out, chasing 110 for a win was never going to be difficult for Himachal, who were desperate for a win to secure a berth in the knockouts. They went for the kill and reached the target in 15.3 overs, with Ankush Bains hitting an unbeaten 38-ball 64 (4x6, 6x4).
The win propelled Himachal to second on the combined table of groups A and B with 22 points from six matches. Their second defeat of the season saw Tamil Nadu sink deeper, to the 13th position on 12 points from seven matches.

Trailing by 58 runs with eight wickets in hand at the end of Day 3, Tamil Nadu started positively on Tuesday. They lost only Abhinav (128) in the first session. At lunch, they had a lead of 49 runs. Indrajith and Vijay Shankar stitched together 109 runs for the fourth wicket. The skipper completed a ninth first-class ton after being dismissed for 93 against Punjab and for 92 and 87 against Kerala. It was his second hundred of the season, after the one against Madhya Pradesh in the first match. Things were looking fine for his team as long as he and Vijay were together.

The way Vijay played — he was unbeaten on 49 off 82 balls at lunch — it seemed like he might save the team. But the right-hander faced just 18 more balls and could add only seven runs in the second session before being stumped by Bains off part-time leg-spinner Prashant Chopra.

This triggered a collapse. Though Indrajith stood firm till he became the eighth wicket to fall, nobody else could support him. Like in the first innings, Himachal’s pacers —Arpit Guleria, Pankaj Jaiswal Rishi Dhawan and Raghav Dhawan — took eight wickets.

The season is almost done and dusted for Tamil Nadu with one more match at home against Delhi starting on January 7. They did not hit the right notes in two away games even at full strength, which may lead to questions when authorities take stock.