Ranji Trophy: CG secures 3 points in match against TN

Raipur: In a Ranji Trophy encounter, Chhattisgarh earned three points after securing a vital first-innings lead in their drawn match against Tamil Nadu. Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Chhattisgarh posted an impressive total of 500 runs in 169.1 overs.Opener Ayush Pandey set the tone for Chhattisgarh with a standout knock of 124 off 184 balls, anchoring his teams innings. Anuj Tiwari (84) and Sanjeet Desai (82) contributed significantly, putting together a crucial 123-run partnership for the third wicket. Ajay Mandal added a solid 64 runs, and Eknath Kerkar supported with a steady 52, further consolidating Chhattisgarh's position. For Tamil Nadu, Ajith Ram was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 4 wickets, while Siddharth picked up 3.In response, Tamil Nadu struggled to match the high total and was bowled out for 259 runs in 77.2 overs. A. Siddharth (55) and Shahrukh Khan (50) fought hard for Tamil Nadu, but they couldn't prevent Chhattisgarh from taking a commanding lead. Shubham Agrawal led the charge with the ball, taking 5 wickets, supported by Jeevesh Butte with 3 wickets.Following on, Tamil Nadu showed resilience in their second innings, scoring 264 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 76 overs, thanks to an unbeaten 106 by Vijay Shankar and a valuable 60 from Jagadeesan. For Chhattisgarh, Ajay Mandal took 2 wickets, while Jeevesh Butte and Shubham Agrawal picked up one each.The match concluded in a draw, with Chhattisgarh securing three points based on their first-innings lead, a crucial result in the Ranji Trophy standings.