CHENNAI: Half-centuries by Abhishek Reddy (70) and Karan Shinde (51) propelled Andhra to beat Tamil Nadu by four wickets on the third day of their Ranji Trophy match played at Visakhapatnam on Monday.
Set a target of 201 for a win, Andhra had some anxious moments after they lost set batters Reddy and Shinde but Ashwin Hebbar (21 not out) and Kalidindi Raju (20 not out) steered the team home to a creditable win.
Reddy scored run a ball and was aggressive from the very first delivery he faced. He read the surface well and wanted to score runs quickly in order to reduce the pressure. Raju joined him and the duo added 72 runs for the second wicket to help the team inch closer to the victory.
When well set for a century, Abhishek in a momentary lapse of concentration, fell leg before to Sai Kishore. Karan after his half century lost focus and fell to part-time bowler Pradosh Ranjan Paul. Sai Kishore took three wickets while debutant P Vidyuth claimed two wickets.
All the six wickets that fell went to the spinners as the fast bowlers in the TN attack failed to make an impression.
Former India and Andhra player MSK Prasad lauded the Ricky Bhui-led side for their comprehensive victory. He insisted that these wins will motivate the team to perform well in the remaining games and make it to the knock-outs. "Fantastic performance by Andhra. It is a creditable win and hats off to the boys for defeating a strong side like Tamil Nadu in three days," lauded Prasad, former chairman of the national selection committee.
Earlier in the day, Andhra bowled out Tamil Nadu for 195 claiming seven wickets for just 93 runs. "Absolutely brilliant effort (from the bowlers). That belief that they had in themselves was remarkable," opined Prasad.
Andhra with this win moved into second place in Group A with 14 points. "Great to be in the second spot with 14 points. I am sure this will give them the confidence to do well in the remaining games and make it to the knock-outs," insisted Prasad.
Andhra's move to have a foreign coach in Gary Stead has helped the team play and perform as a unit. "Andhra cricket has done a tremendous job by roping in Gary. And straight away it looks like he has got it just right, and the players are doing well. So yes, having an outsider as a coach sometimes definitely helps. Because they come with a selfless attitude. So that actually rubs off because they don't know anybody. So all that they know is to win the match. So the best possible combination plays and helps in winning the game. Because he's got a lot of international experience, he is able to handle the team well. He had taken New Zealand to the finals of all three formats," complimented Prasad.
For Tamil Nadu, it must have been a rude shock to lose the game after taking the first innings lead and being comfortably placed at 102 for 3 on Sunday. Their key batters fell to the guile of Saurabh Kumar. In the first innings, the visitors' top order fell to the pace of Prithvi Raj and in the second innings they could not handle spin.