TN run away with easy win

Chennai: A rampant Tamil Nadu registered their third consecutive victory of the Ranji Trophy season after defeating Goa by seven wickets on the fourth and final day of the Elite Group C match in Porvorim on Monday.Chasing 137 for the win at the Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground, TN, who began the day at 61-1, got the job done in the 50th over. The R Sai Kishore-led TN moved back to the top of the table and now have 21 points off five matches. TN have the same points as the second-placed Karnataka, but are ahead of their southern rivals based on ‘quotient’.Opener S Lokeshwar (52 off 129 balls, 6x4) struck his maiden half-century on his Ranji debut, while vice-captain Pradosh Ranjan Paul (65 off 125 balls, 6x4), in at No. 3, also hit a fifty. Lokeshwar and Pradosh accumulated 96 runs for the second-wicket partnership, which put the visitors on the brink of victory. Senior batters Vijay Shankar (13 not out) and Baba Indrajith (7 not out) were at the crease when TN got past the finish line comfortably.Speaking to TOI, Sai Kishore praised his teammates for rising to the occasion in challenging moments.“A lot of players are showing up in pressure situations, which is a good sign for us. When we are doing that, we are able to get out of tough situations. The seasoned campaigners are showing up. The five frontline bowlers are performing well together,” said Sai Kishore, who again delivered a captain’s performance, with an eight-wicket match haul.“Obviously, it is good to have back-to-back wins under our belt. We have momentum on our side. We have played in a genuine way and have had luck on our side sometimes.” Sai Kishore lauded debutant Lokeshwar for playing his part in the big win over Goa. “Lokeshwar handled the pressure well in the chase. Goa were applying pressure, so it was not easy. Lokeshwar played a special innings,” added Sai Kishore.Brief scores: Goa 241 & 168. Tamil Nadu 273 & 142-3 in 49.5 overs (Pradosh Ranjan Paul 65, S Lokeshwar 52; Darshan Misal 2-51). TN won by 7 wickets.