Shankar’s 150 not out puts TN within sniffing distance of win

SALEM: All-rounder Vijay Shankar blasted an unbeaten 150 as Tamil Nadu closed in on an outright win after declaring at 305 for 5 and reducing Chandigarh to 113 for 5 on day 3 of their Elite Group D Ranji Trophy match here on Saturday.

In a clash between the two table-toppers, Shankar struck 12 fours and five sixes in his 171-ball innings, while Narayan Jagadeesan contributed 89 at the top as Tamil Nadu recovered from a mini-collapse to set Chandigarh a daunting target of 403.

This century marked Shankar’s 11th first-class ton and second of the season.

Chandigarh, which had been bowled out for 204 in its first innings, faced a tough challenge as it was reduced to 113 for 5 in 33 overs. Skipper Manan Vohra was batting on 47, but his team still requires 290 runs to win.

At stumps, Vohra was at the crease with Vishu Kashyap (4).

For Tamil Nadu, skipper Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (2/38) and S Ajith Ram (2/46) took two wickets each, while M Mohammed (1/13) accounted for one.

Resuming the day at 27 for 2, overnight batter Jagadeesan witnessed Ajith Ram (7) and Baba Indrajith (3) being dismissed cheaply.

Shankar then joined Jagadeesan and forged a 152-run partnership to steady the innings. Andre Siddarth also contributed with an unbeaten 36.

Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 301 & 305/5 decl. In 72.5 overs (Vijay Shankar 150 not out, N Jagadeesan 89, J Singh 3/43) vs Chandigarh 204 & 113/5 in 33 overs (M Vohra 47 batting, R Sai Kishore 2/38, S Ajith Ram 2/46)