CHENNAI: On a day where 16 wickets fell, Tamil Nadu conceded a 19-run lead to Railways on Day 2 of a Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday.
Railways’ left arm spinner Choudhary's fifer (5/41) helped the visitors skittle Tamil Nadu out for 165, but they found themselves in a precarious situation, ending the day at 107 after 51 overs with a wicket remaining.
Once again, R Sai Kishore (4/38) was the pick of Tamil Nadu bowlers and put his experience to effective use with his subtle variations. He was ably supported by spinners J Hemchudeshan (3/21) and S Ajith Ram (1/26). Ajith Ram accounted for the dangerous Zubair Khan and in the process, took his 100th First-Class wicket. Barring opener Sahab Yuvraj (42), none of the Railways batters showed the patience or the technique to play the hosts spinners.But spinner Choudhary is not disappointed and felt that they have a chance of Wednesday. “The pitch is turning a bit, so I have no complaints about the batters. We've taken a lead of 120 runs (126, to be specific) and we're confident in our bowling,” said Choudhury after the day's play. With the ball turning, the spinner expressed confidence despite his team having a wicket left. “I think even 120 runs is a good lead because the ball is turning a lot. We're confident that we can get them (Tamil Nadu) out. Out of six deliveries, about three turn, while the others go straight. That's also a good sign for the bowlers. Since not every ball turns, the batters will be left uncertain about what the next delivery will do," he explained.
Earlier, C Andre Siddarth fell leg before to Choudhary to his overnight score of eight runs. The next ball, the spinner castled SR Athish for a duck. Then not long after, R Sonu Yadav caved into the guile of Choudhary and failed to open his account. Thus, Tamil Nadu were reduced to 75 for 6 in 29 overs. From there,B Indrajith (59) played admirably with the tail to reduce the deficit and in the process, scored his 33rd First Class fifty. "This isn't an easy pitch. If you look at both teams, neither side has been able to bat for more than around 50 to 60 overs. On these kinds of pitches, I feel that once a batter gets their eye in, they need to try to bat for longer and take the innings forward. Sometimes, on pitches like these, you cannot predict the scoring rate or strike rate. Boundaries aren't going to come easily. The stage of the innings also matters. If you're facing the new ball, surviving is going to be even more difficult, although there may also be opportunities to score boundaries. Overall, it's a difficult pitch," Indrajith said after the day's play.
The veteran explained how he finds a balance in shot-making to negate the tough conditions. “Every batter will have their own approach and scoring shots. Some players use their feet, while others play the sweep shot. I'm trying to find the right balance and make sure that once I'm set, I maximize my time at the crease," he added.
Indrajith also believed that if batters stay for long, it becomes difficult for them to be dismissed.
"Sometimes, on pitches like these, you're in a very tricky situation. You wonder whether you should take that extra risk. If you keep defending, there's always the dilemma of whether you're eventually going to get out anyway. But I've noticed a pattern even in their team. Their opening batter played for close to 45 overs. If you can grind it out and keep batting, it can sometimes become difficult for the bowlers to dismiss you," he explained.