The Hindu : Sriram, Kaarthick score centuries

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 16, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Sriram, Kaarthick score centuries

By Our Sports Reporter

S. Sriram (left) gets a hug from Dinesh Kaarthick after reaching his hundred. Kaarthick also made a century.

CHENNAI, MARCH 15. Railways' much-needed breakthrough came a touch late on the second afternoon.

For, by then, Tamil Nadu's overnight pair of left-hander S. Sriram and K. Dinesh Kaarthick had swung the five-day Ranji Trophy semifinal the host's way quite decisively at the Chidambaram Stadium here on Monday.

Resuming its first innings at 244 for six, Tamil Nadu, runner-up last season, finished at a competitive 481. In reply, Railways was 18 without loss at stumps.

It helps in terms of communication and mutual understanding if the two batsmen in the middle happen to come from the same club — Globe Trotters — in this case. As they say, the longer the association, better the rapport. And it showed on the field.

Sriram, whose 172 (383b, 554m, 17x4, 1x6) is his 26th first-class century, took charge during the crucial phase in the morning when the fall of a wicket could have changed the complexion of the contest.

Thereafter, Kaarthick, whose 122 (271m, 220b, 12x4, 4x6) is his maiden first-class century, dominated the 212-run, seventh-wicket stand, which came in 399 deliveries.

Sanjay Bangar shuffled his bowlers for majority of the day, but it was leg-spinner and part-time bowler Yere Goud who accounted for the day's first dismissal — Kaarthick caught at deep mid-wicket by Parida — in his third over, which came just before tea.

Sriram's effort was typically solid, and barring a slash off medium-pacer Harvinder Singh — which Siddarth Verma failed to latch on to at point when the batsman was on 100 — the stocky No. 3's innings was chanceless.

"I knew I had to knuckle-down and guide the side to a competitive total. Considering the heat, it was also a test of one's fitness," said the left-hander, whose consistency is deserving of a Test call-up.

Kaarthick is a positive player, who likes to go for his shots. "I only kept reminding him not to get carried away. Dinesh was in total control," said Sriram (overnight 81), who exited shortly after Kaarthick's dismissal. He was run out by J.P. Yadav at the non-striker's end. The innings folded about an hour after tea.

The scores:

Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: S. Suresh c Wankhede b J.P. Yadav 44, S. Ramesh c Verma b Kanolkar 23, S. Sriram (run out) 172, S. Badrinath c Goud b J.P. Yadav 1, S. Sharath c M. Yadav b Harvinder 26, K.S. Vasudeva Das c T.P. Singh b Parida 25, S. Vidyut (run out) 22, K.D. Kaarthick c Parida b Goud 122, R. Ramkumar (not out) 28, C. Ganapathy c Bangar b Parida 1, D. Tamilkumaran lbw b Harvinder 1; Extras (b-2, lb-6, w-2, nb-6) 16. Total 481.

Fall of wickets: 1-54, 2-95, 3-99, 4-149, 5-205, 6-229, 7-441, 8-454, 9-474.

Railways bowling: Harvinder 28.2-4-82-2, J.P. Yadav 37-12-66-2, S. Bangar 27-4-74-0, S. Kanolkar 12-2-34-1, K. Parida 41-11-136-2, M. Yadav 17-3-58-0, Yere Goud 7-0-23-1.

Railways — 1st innings: S. Kanolkar (batting) 17, S. Bangar (batting) 1. Total (no loss) 18.

Tamil Nadu bowling: D. Tamilkumaran 4-1-14-0, C. Ganapathy 2-0-4-0, R. Ramkumar 2-2-0-0.

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