Vijay Shankar’s addition to the squad will bolster Tamil Nadu’s batting
Vijay Shankar’s addition to the squad will bolster Tamil Nadu’s batting

Tamil Nadu look to make hay against Punjab while sun shines

Tamil Nadu have weathered a few storms in this Ranji Trophy, quite literally.

MOHALI : Tamil Nadu have weathered a few storms in this Ranji Trophy, quite literally.
Three out of their five matches were played under dark clouds, reducing the yield of those clashes to just three points. After healing their wounds of losing to Bengal with a timely win against Kerala last time around, Tamil Nadu head north for their next two matches: Mohali and Dharamsala.

To start with, there are no forecasts of rain in these parts, although Tamil Nadu do have to cope with weather that is getting colder by the day. First up on Friday are Punjab; a team just below them in Elite Group B, and equally desperate for a win.So, the likelihood of IS Bindra Stadium rolling out a lifeless track for the fixture is as good as the locals’ hope for a blazing sun. There is a tinge of grass, a norm for Ranji fixtures in these parts where seamers traditionally call the shots.

The equation for Baba Indrajith’s side is simple. Win these two matches (they face Himachal Pradesh next week) and beat Delhi at home in their last game to have a chance of making the knockout stage. They are currently 10th in Elite Group A and B combined; five places below the cut-off for knockout qualification. But chances of redemption seem to be bright.With every match, Tamil Nadu have grown from strength to strength. The arrival of the in-form Vijay Shankar from New Zealand after completing his India A duties will add more spine to their batting order that is yet to click as a unit.

Though Vijay arrived only late on Thursday evening, he is likely to replace either of N Jagadeesan or M Shahrukh Khan. The pitch could also see speedster K Vignesh take the place of left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore.“We are almost back to full strength and this wicket seems to have everything. Needless to say, these two matches are crucial to us,” said Tamil Nadu coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar.

“It’s about seizing those small moment. We did that against Kerala, but couldn’t against Bengal. All that is in the past. Punjab are strong, but they are under pressure to do well at home. We have enjoyed playing on these kinds of wickets.”If Tamil Nadu are out to redeem themselves, Punjab are searching for consistency. They began with two away draws in their away fixtures (against Andhra and Madhya Pradesh), before beating Delhi in their backyard.

But, their homecoming saw them suffer an embarrassing innings defeat against Himachal. Like Tamil Nadu, they too have been buoyed by the return of Shubman Gill, Anmolpreet Singh and Siddarth Kaul from India A’s tour of New Zealand. Manpreet Gony is also back after being sidelined for four matches due to injury.

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