Ranji Trophy: TN-Jharkhand match interestingly poised after Sai Kishore’s heroics

Tamil Nadu captain Sai Kishore shines with a five-wicket haul as his team chases a sub-250 target in Ranji Trophy.

After a deflating first day for Tamil Nadu on Thursday, skipper R. Sai Kishore wasn’t grumpy with the world at large. Instead, he was spirited and wanted his team to be as spirited. “I feel the game is on! We have to play with all the spirit,” he said.

On Friday, it seemed he’d taken the onus on him, and he delivered. He opened the bowling, bowled the most number of overs, and claimed his eleventh First Class five-wicket haul (five for 43) to help Tamil Nadu bowl out Jharkhand for 154 and chase a sub-250 target (234) in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match at the Keenan stadium here.

For Jharkhand, Utkarsh Singh (35) and Virat Singh (29) engaged in a counter-attacking 56-run fifth-wicket stand. Utkarsh hit off-spinners Pradosh Ranjan Paul and Lakshay Jain for a six each - a pulled six off the former, and an inside-out six to extra cover off the latter. Virat charged at left-arm spinner Ajith Ram to slam a six to cow corner.

All this, after Sai Kishore had Sharandeep Singh (0) bowled off the third ball of the day and Manishi (12) caught behind soon after. Jharkhand skipper Ishan Kishan (7), who’d promoted himself up the order having scored only eight in the first innings, played on an innocuous delivery - a full toss on the legs. Sai Kishore completed his five-wicket haul when he had Kumar Kushagra (20) caught at cover just before lunch.

Mohamed Ali (44, 89b, 5x4) was the standout in Tamil Nadu’s run pursuit.

Jharkhand’s field was mostly defensive and it dropped three catches. Tamil Nadu still couldn’t impose itself. When Andre Siddarth (18) played a seemingly needless inside-out shot to hole out to deep cover at the end of the day, Jharkhand celebrated wildly. After Sai Kishore (2) fell too, it would’ve felt like being ahead in the contest.

Tamil Nadu would pin its hopes on Vijay Shankar (33 batting), who hit the shot of the day - a slog sweep for a six to deep backward square leg off Utkarsh.