TN has nothing to show for decent performances

CHENNAI: After a disappointing start to its campaign, where it picked up just six points from its first three matches, Tamil Nadu made an early exit from the Ranji Trophy.

Tamil Nadu eventually finished fifth on the Group B table with 21 points from seven matches, five points adrift of the quarter-final qualification spots. But, the stats do not tell the entire story. The southern side secured its maiden victory – innings win over Assam in Chennai – in only its sixth match, by when its hopes of progressing were all but over.

Having finished its season on a positive note with a home triumph over Saurashtra here, Tamil Nadu bagged 13 points from its last two games that had little importance. A few factors, including the team’s inability to seize control of crucial moments and bad luck, prevented the side from making it to the last-eight stage.

In its first match of the season against Hyderabad in Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu looked to achieve the impossible when it was set a victory target of 144 in 11 overs. Opening batters Narayan Jagadeesan and B Sai Sudharsan took the attack to the opposition from the word go, raising hopes of an improbable win.

However, it turned out to be so near yet so far for the visiting team as bad light brought the match to an early halt. Despite scoring at more than 15 runs an over – Tamil Nadu was 108 for one in seven overs at close of play – the visitor had to settle for just three points (awarded for first-innings lead). Hyderabad displayed gamesmanship throughout the fourth innings of the match, taking an age after each ball in a bid to preserve its solitary point.

In its first home game against Andhra Pradesh in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu was in the ascendancy at the end of the opening exchanges, but threw the advantage away. The host let the Andhra tail add invaluable runs in its second innings and suffered a batting collapse in the last essay of the match, going from 155 for three to 194 all-out while chasing 203.

The away contest against fellow struggler Delhi was a repeat of Tamil Nadu’s season opener. The guest took a sizable first-innings lead and gave itself an outside chance of emerging triumphant by bowling the home team out in the last session of the fourth day. But, bad light once again played spoilsport as Tamil Nadu was forced to be content with three points for the second time in just three matches.

In the away matches against Mumbai and Maharashtra in Mumbai and Pune respectively, the southern team was far from its best when it mattered. Against Mumbai, Tamil Nadu was bundled out for a paltry 144 and let the home team earn a mammoth first-innings lead. The rest of the match was a mere formality since the tourist had no chance to take anything more than a point from the lop-sided battle.

When up against Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu fell 42 runs short in the first innings despite the best efforts of middle-order batters Vijay Shankar and Pradosh Ranjan Paul. After conceding the first-innings advantage in that game, the Tamil Nadu team was all but ruled out of the qualification race. Playing for pride in its final two games in Chennai, the southern outfit ended its season on a high with comfortable wins over Assam and Saurashtra.

Courtesy of impactful contributions from Pradosh, Jagadeesan, Vijay Shankar and left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram, Tamil Nadu earned a comprehensive innings and 70-run win over Assam. Ajith Ram continued his good form and bowled Tamil Nadu to a 59-run victory over Saurashtra in a match where the spinners called the shots.

Three captains during the season

After failing to register a win at the end of five matches, Tamil Nadu decided to hand over the leadership duties to R Sai Kishore, who replaced Baba Aparajith. Sai Kishore got the job done in his first match – over Assam – as Tamil Nadu skipper, but was unavailable for the seventh and final group game due to illness. Pradosh was given the captain’s armband as a result and just like his predecessor, he got the team over the line.

Some positives from the campaign

The resurgence of Pradosh, who is not new to the scene, and the return to form of Vijay Shankar will bode well for Tamil Nadu going forward. The 22-year-old Pradosh was by far the standout batter with three centuries and two fifties to his name. Ajith Ram put the best foot forward when handed opportunities, bagging back-to-back ‘Man of the Match’ awards in the last two home matches. He could compete with fellow left-arm spinner Manimaran Siddharth for the second slow bowler’s slot in the eleven in the future.