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Shrikande misses double century

Special Correspondent

Nashik: Ameya Shrikande led Maharashtra’s riposte to Tamil Nadu’s massive first innings total for close to eight hours but paid a heavy price for a folly he made in the last half hour in their Ranji Trophy super league encounter at the old golf course ground here on Wednesday.

Five short of a memorable double century, he took a chance with a reverse sweep off off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and was declared caught. Out of sheer frustration he pointed his shoulder to the umpire, but later admitted that he was wrong to have done so.

Ashwin dismissed two more Maharashtra batsman for Tamil Nadu to get a whiff of gaining the first innings points. At 401 for seven, the host is close to a hundred runs away from avoiding the follow on. With the surface likely to decline on the fourth and final day, Maharashtra has a task at hand to prevent Tamil Nadu from leaving with full points.

Doughty

After its steady progress on Tuesday, Shrikande and Rohan Bhosale continued doughtily. Bhosale blocked one end for 55 minutes and just added one run to his overnight 42, but helped the second wicket partnership swell to 125. A half hearted horizontal bat swipe at left arm spinner C. Suresh resulted in the left hander’s dismissal.

The watchword was defence for Shrikande and new batsman Kedar Jadhav. Tamil Nadu resorted to a 7-2 field for Ashwin and 6-3 field for Suresh. Two men were posted behind square on the on side inviting the right hander’s to top-edge a sweep. After a rousing 130-run stand for the third wicket, Jadhav (63, 120b, 10x4s, 1x6) fell for the trap, his massive swing taken by Palani Amarnath a few metres from the fence at deep square leg.

Hat-trick denied

Immediately Suresh won an appeal for leg before against Maharashtra captain Nikhil Paradkar for a duck. Surrounded by six fielders, Ankit Bawne stretched forward to defend the next delivery and denied a hat-trick to Suresh.

The second new ball failed to produce a wicket with Suresh sharing the ball with Laxmipathy Balaji. Maharashtra needed the pair to survive the last session. But Shrikande’s lapse triggered a mini-collapse. Bawne and Deepak Shilamkar fell immediately to give Tamil Nadu a chance to force a win on Thursday.

The scores: Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 648 for three decl.

Maharashtra — 1st innings: H. Khadiwale c Karthik b Balaji 41, R. Bhosale lbw b Suresh 43, A. Shrikande c Prasanna b Ashwin 195, K. Jadhav c Amarnath b Suresh 63, N. Paradkar lbw b Suresh 0, A. Bawne c Suresh Kumar b Ashwin 22, D. Shilamkar c Prasanna b Ashwin 0, R. Motwani (batting) 10, A. Dole (batting) 1; Extras (b-10, lb-2, nb-14): 26; Total (for seven wkts. in 134 overs): 401

Fall of wickets: 1-47, 2-172, 3-302, 4-302, 5-389, 6-389, 7-394

Tamil Nadu bowling: Balaji 26-5-83-1, Amarnath 17-4-68-0, Ashwin 40-17-68-3, Yomahesh 15-1-51-0, Prasanna 1-0-1-0, C. Suresh 34-9-114-3, Vidyut 1-0-4-0.

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