The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Sharath, Badrinath make merry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 17, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Sharath, Badrinath make merry

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 16. S. Sharath made a hundred, and S. Badrinath fell at the doorstep of the three-figure mark. The final day's play of the Ranji Trophy Elite group `B' match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium lost its competitive interest when Tamil Nadu decided against a declaration.

The host seemed content with two points for the lead. When the contest ended after the eighth mandatory over, Tamil Nadu was 408 for nine, gathering 218 runs in the entire day's play.

Punjab was not put under any pressure with the home team opting for safety. Tamil Nadu has 11 points from four matches, and Punjab, that drew a blank here, has 16 from five.

The pitch became slower as the match progressed, with the odd ball keeping low. But the surface, contrary to predictions, held firm. Stroke-making became difficult but with wickets in hand, Tamil Nadu could have been more innovative.

The left-handed Sharath (112, 253b, 14x4) got to his 22nd Ranji hundred and third of the season with an audacious late cut off Rajesh Sharma and celebrated the occasion by breaking into a Punjabi style Bhangra. His vigil ended when he flashed at medium-pacer Reetinder Singh Sodhi, who returned with better figures (of containment) than he deserved.

Badrinath (97, 289b, 11x4) searched for timing, and towards the later stages did essay two pleasing cover drives off Sharma. He was done in by a delivery that shot through low from leggie Sandeep Saawal. The fourth wicket pair added 163 in 390 balls.

Tamil Nadu meets host Baroda from December 22.

The scoreboard

Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 244

Punjab — 1st innings: 218

Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: S. Vidyut c Dharmani b Navdeep 99; S. Ramesh c Ricky b VRV Singh 0; S. Sriram c Dharmani b R. Sharma 15; S. Badrinath b S. Saawal 97; S. Sharath c Dharmani b Sodhi 112, K.S. Vasudevada Das c Saawal b R. Sharma 43; V. Kumar c Dharmani b N. Singh 0; M.R. Shrinivas b N. Singh 0; R. Ramkumar c M. Sharma (sub) b R. Sharma 23; A. Sarathy (not out) 1; R. Jesuraj (not out) 2; Extras (b-11, lb-1, w-1, nb3) 16; Total (for nine wkts in 159 overs) 408.

Fall of wickets: 1-1; 2-80; 3-147, 4-310, 5-356, 6-357, 7-357, 8-403, 9-404.

Punjab bowling: V.R.V. Singh 10-2-30-1 (nb-1); Uniyal 21-9-54-0 (w-1); Sodhi 20-8-29-1; Sharma 37-11-99-3; Saawal 33-7-103-1; N. Singh 31-4-68-3; D. Mongia 3-1-4-0 (nb-1); Yuvraj 4-1-9-0 (nb-1).

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