Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja on Thursday picked up seven wickets for Saurashtra in Tamil Nadu’s second innings to show he was back to full fitness ahead of the all important Test series against Australia.
The left-arm spinner was in his element as he ran through the TN batting lineup to lead Saurashtra’s fightback after conceding a huge first innings lead in the Ranji Trophy tie.
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With the Test series against Australia looming, Jadeja’s impressive comeback from injury would be a welcome sign for the team management.
The visiting team was dismissed for 192 in response to TN’s first innings score of 324, conceding a lead of 132 runs. However, Jadeja’s heroics helped Saurashtra bundle out the home team for 133 in just 36.1 overs in the second innings.
Needing 266 runs for an outright win, the former Ranji champions lost the wicket of opening batter Jay Gohil (0) to end the day at 4 for 1.
Resuming at the overnight 92 for 3, Saurashtra must have pinned hopes on Jadeja coming up with a substantial knock to swell the score. However, the stand in captain could make only 15 (23 balls, 3 fours) before B Aparajith trapped in front of the wicket.
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Young left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram and fellow spinner M Siddharth did well for TN, picking up three wickets each to engineer a collapse. From 101 for 3, Saurashtra were bowled out for 192 in 79.4 overs with Chirag Jani (49) being the top-scorer.
In the second innings, Tamil Nadu came up against an inspired Ravindra Jadeja as the crafty spinner made great use of the conditions with the ball staying low to wreak havoc.
Along with fellow spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3/64), the Saurashtra skipper kept TN batters on the tenterhooks.
The home team slumped to 4 for 2 with Dharmendrasinh Jadeja removing opening batter N Jagadeesan for a duck and the power-hitting M Shahrukh Khan (2).
The 32-year Dharmendrasinh Jadeja then scalped the wicket of Aparajith (4) as Tamil Nadu slipped further. The stylish B Sai Sudharsan, in the meanwhile, batted in a circumspect manner to counter the twin Jadeja menace.
He hit only three boundaries in his 37 (73 balls) as the southpaw tried to rescue TN in the company of B Indrajith, one of the better players of spin in the home line-up.
Once Jadeja got into the act by bowling Indrajith (28, 53 balls, 2 fours), it was Saurashtra all the way. The ace all-rounder returning to competitive cricket after having last played for the country in August, 2022, posed all sorts of problems for the TN batters.
A relentless Jadeja got TN captain Pradosh Ranjan Paul, the in-form player for 8 and then Vijay Shankar, who has scored three tons this season. The lower order simply caved in as the team capitulated from 105 for 6 to 133 all out in the space of five overs.
In 17.1 overs, Jadeja finished with superb figures of 7 for 53 to bring Saurashtra back into contention for a win.
Mumbai fails to secure lead vs Maharashtra
In Mumbai, on a topsy-turvy third day, the home side failed to secure the all-important first innings lead against Maharashtra after being dismissed for 384 despite a gallant effort by Tanush Kotian (93).
Resuming at 187 for 5, Mumbai saw Prasad Pawar complete a well-deserved ton. He went on to score 145 (262 balls, 15 fours) and was involved in two vital partnerships with Shams Mulani (25) and Kotian.
After Pawar was dismissed by Pradeep Dhade (3/80), the onus was on Kotian to try and take Mumbai past the Maharashtra score.
His 169-ball knock which included 9 fours and a six was not enough to enable Mumbai secure the lead.
The tie on the first innings at the Brabourne stadium meant Andhra stand to go through as the second team from Group B behind Saurashtra provided there is no outright result in the Mumbai-Maharashtra game.
In Vizianagaram, Andhra routed Assam by an innings and 95 runs to pick up seven points and improve its tally to 26.
Brief scores
In Chennai: Tamil Nadu 324 all out and 133 all out in 36.1 overs (Sai Sudharsan 37, Ravindra Jadeja 7/53, D Jadeja 3/64) vs Saurashtra 192 all out 79.4 overs (Chirag Jani 49, S Ajith Ram 3/39, Siddharth 3/44) and 4 for 1 in 4 overs.
In Mumbai: Maharashtra 384 all out and 51 for 2 in 22 overs vs Mumbai 384 all out in 116 overs (Prasad Pawar 145, Tanush Kotian 93, Pradeep Dhade 3/80).
In Vizianagaram: Assam 113 and 153 all out in 37.5 overs (Rishav Das 30, M Madhav Rayudu 4/12, K V Sasikanth 3/34) lost to Andhra 361 all out in 112 overs (Karan Shinde 90 not out, Hanuma Vihari 80, Abhishek Reddy 75, Swarupam Puryakastha 4/48) by an innings and 95 runs. Andhra: 7 points, Assam: 0.
In Hyderabad: Hyderabad 355 all out and 90 for 5 vs Delhi 433 all out in 100.5 overs (Ayush Badoni 191, Yash Dhull 72, Harshit Rana 58, Aniketh Reddy 5/143).
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