Spinners put Tamil Nadu on the brink of 3rd straight win

Chennai: Tamil Nadu inched closer to their third successive victory and were just 76 runs away from defeating Goa at stumps on the third day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match in Porvorim on Sunday.Chasing a winning target of 137 at the Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground, TN were 61-1 at close of play, with debutant opener S Lokeshwar (34 batting) and vice-captain Pradosh Ranjan Paul (22 batting) in the middle. With nine wickets left in the bank, it should be a walk in the park for the R Sai Kishore-led team.It was the left-arm spinners – S Ajith Ram (4-36 off 13.5 overs) and Sai Kishore (4-82 off 24 overs) – who once again put TN on top as the hosts were bundled out for 168 in their second innings. Ajith and Sai Kishore, who had combined for seven wickets in Goa’s first essay, did the bulk of the damage, with part-timer Pradosh (2-18) also joining the party.Goa opening batter Suyash Prabhudessai (79 off 183 balls, 6x4) saved the home side from embarrassment with his second 50+ score of the match. For the second time in the game, the in-form Suyash and KV Siddharth (32) were involved in the biggest partnership of a Goa innings – worth 59 runs for the third wicket. Losing the last six wickets for just 29 runs – similar to the collapse in the first innings – did not help Goa’s cause.Speaking to TOI after the day’s play, Sai Kishore lauded his teammates for turning up on the day. “In the first innings, we were not at our best. We showed up much better in the second. Fast bowlers Sandeep Warrier, M Mohammed and Kuldeep Sen bowled well on a pitch where spinners are bound to get most of the wickets. They kept it tight. Fielding-wise, everyone stood up. N Jagadeesan, Vijay Shankar and Baba Indrajith helped me with inputs and they worked wonders,” the skipper said. Sai Kishore reserved special praise for his spin-bowling colleague Ajith, who continued his good form and finished with a seven-wicket match haul. “He is responding to whatever I say. Credit to him for showing up in different situations. I am enjoying the partnership with him,” Sai Kishore added. Brief scores: Goa 241 & 168 in 65.5 overs (Suyash Prabhudessai 79; S Ajith Ram 4-36, R Sai Kishore 4-82). Tamil Nadu 273 & 61-1 in 26 overs (S Lokeshwar 34*).