Jaddu takes one, TN fail to score big

Chennai: Though he bowled just seven overs and did not get to bat, India allrounder Ravindra Jadeja made his presence felt on Day 2 with the crucial wicket of Baba Indrajith. The left-arm spinner also found some zip from a surface that continued to be sluggish but offered more turn than before in the Tamil Nadu-Saurashtra Ranji Trophy match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday.
The hosts were at 288-5 at one stage but could muster just 36 more runs before getting bowled out for 324 in the first innings.Saurashtra began the second innings well but stuttered a bit in the final session to end the day three wickets down and 232 runs behind TN’s total. Earlier in the morning, Saurashtra took the second new ball immediately and nearly tasted success in the second over when left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya induced Vijay Shankar’s outside edge which went to Arpit Vasavada at third slip, but the third umpire deemed the catch was not clean. Vijay took the close call in his stride and along with Baba Indrajith, survived the new ball without any damage.
Jadeja took the field in the 96th over of the innings and came on to bowl in the 104th over. In between, Indrajith got to his half-century with a boundary toward midwicket off Dharmendrasinh’s bowling, bringing up the team’s 200 in 98.4 overs. Vijay stroked medium pacer Prerak Mankad for a piercing cover drive, and then a glorious flick bisecting mid-on and midwicket. Jadeja almost got the breakthrough in the 106th over when he had Indrajith caught at forward short leg by Jay Gohil off a no-ball.
Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 324 (Vijay Shankar 53, Shahrukh Khan 50; Yuvrajsinh Dodiya 4-72, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja 3-95). Saurashtra 92-3 (Jay Gohil 25; M Siddharth 1-26).