Ranji Trophy | Athish and Sonu take the game away from Odisha

Opener S.R. Athish journeyed from a scratchy maiden 50 successful the archetypal innings to a acold much compact, astatine times flamboyant, career-best 88 (162b, 9x4, 3x6) connected time 3 of the Elite Group-A sixth-round Ranji Trophy lucifer against Odisha astatine the KIIT Stadium present connected Saturday.

Sonu Yadav past followed up his maiden five-for with an unfettered career-best 74 (75b, 4x4, 5x6) arsenic Tamil Nadu, aft scoring 316, acceptable Odisha a people of 455.

After fog delayed the commencement by 35 minutes, Athish and pacer Rajesh Mohanty lent the archetypal league its pulse - a acold warfare played retired successful abbreviated balls and stares, successful ducks and defiance.

As Mohanty shortened his length, Athish took him connected with the hook, the shot climbing towards fine-leg earlier Debabrata Pradhan spilt the accidental connected 33. Mohanty’s effect was contiguous and pointed – 2 much abbreviated balls successful the aforesaid over. Athish ducked one, past walked down the way and swayed distant from the other. Mohanty stared him down connected some occasions, daring him to flinch.

Athish chose to respond successful the pacer’s adjacent over. Another abbreviated shot from Mohanty, this clip pulled with authority, threading the spread betwixt heavy backward-square-leg and fine-leg. The adjacent 1 was shorter still, and Athish was acceptable - swivelling, rolling his wrists, and sending it sailing implicit heavy backward-square-leg for a six. The bat did the talking now; the glares answered without a glance. His 50 arrived fittingly - a screen thrust disconnected Mohanty, a changeable of calm aft the storm.

Athish was enactment down connected 65 by Biplab Samantaray astatine archetypal gaffe disconnected pacer Sambit Baral, a reprieve helium made number by taking the spinners head-on successful the 2nd session.

The 3rd league belonged to Sonu. He unfurled a catalogue of cleanable hits against spinners, including consecutive and long-on sixes disconnected left-arm spinner Badal Biswal successful the aforesaid over, earlier signing disconnected with a wicket.

The scores: Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 286.

Odisha — 1st innings: 148.

Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: S.R. Athish lbw b Poddar 88, N. Jagadeesan lbw b Baral 4, P. Vidyuth c Dhuper b Baral 8, Pradosh Ranjan Paul c Shantanu b Samantaray 22, Andre Siddarth c Dhuper b Samantaray 1, G. Ajitesh lbw b Badal 49, Nidhish Rajagopal lbw b Debabrata 16, Sonu Yadav b Badal 74, Sai Kishore c Samantaray b Badal 40, Gurjapneet Singh c Baral b Shantanu 5, Trilok Nag (not out) 0; Extras (lb-6, w-1, nb-2): 9; Total (in 88.2 overs): 316.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-31, 3-76, 4-98, 5-154, 6-179, 7-207, 8-309, 9-316.

Odisha bowling: Mohanty 14-4-50-0, Debabrata 13-3-24-1, Baral 18-3-61-2, Poddar 14-0-63-1, Samantaray 11-2-22-2, Badal 12.2-1-56-3, Shantanu 6-134-1.

Odisha — 2nd innings: Swastik Samal c Sonu b Sai Kishore 10, Shantanu lbw b Sonu 0, Subhranshu Senapati (batting) 36; Extras (b-1): 1; Total (for 2 wkts successful 15.3 overs): 47.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-47.

Tamil Nadu bowling: Gurjapneet 6-2-22-0, Sonu 5-1-14-1, Trilok 3-0-8-0, Vidyuth 1-0-1-0, Sai Kishore 0.3-0-1-1.