It was on the cards and Tamil Nadu made sure they didn’t let it slip through their hands. The bowlers came good for a second time in three days and bowled Baroda out for 259 to secure an innings and 57-run win in a Ranji Trophy Group B match in Vadodara on Thursday.
The win with a day to spare came with a bonus point. Having secured seven points from this match, Tamil Nadu moved up to eighth on the combined table of Group A and B, with 19 points from seven matches. With a game to go in the league stage, they still have a mathematical chance of finishing in the top five and making it to the quarterfinals. For that, they need at least a win against Saurashtra and hope that other results go their way.
The highlight of the day was K Vignesh’s five-wicket haul. There were counterattacking half-centuries from Baroda skipper Krunal Pandya and No 9 Atit Sheth, which were not enough for their team. The visitors started on a good note, with M Mohammed dismissing Ahmadnoor Pathan for an 18-ball duck off the third ball of the day. Kedar Devdhar (29 off 70) and Vishnu Solanki (17 off 50) put together 43 runs for the second wicket before Vignesh accounted for the former in the 24th over. This triggered a slide as Baroda went on to lose the next four wickets for a mere nine runs.
Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore accounted for two more as Baroda took lunch at 119/7. Having been bowled out for 174 in the first innings, they were in danger of finishing below that. But Tamil Nadu’s bowlers were made to toil for the remaining three wickets. In the first innings also, the Baroeda tail had wagged.
Krunal took charge of the proceedings and hit a 95-ball 74. The left-hander’s knock consisted of 10 fours and two sixes. With Sheth, he stitched together 73 runs off 93 balls for the eighth wicket. But Vignesh came to Tamil Nadu’s rescue as he removed Krunal in the 53rd over to leave Baroda at 192/8. Vignesh completed his fourth five-for when he dismissed No 10 Anureet Singh.
The 24-year-old Sheth, who scored 53 in the first innings, frustrated Tamil Nadu for some more time. His 70 off 74 balls made sure the hosts crossed 250. The all-rounder also shared 53 runs for Babashafi Pathan (14 not out). However, a yorker from Mohammed sent Pathan back. Tamil Nadu will travel to Rajkot for the crucial last match, starting on February 12.
Brief scores (Day 3)
Group A: In Nagpur: Vidarbha 326 (Nalkande 66 n.o; Nidheesh 5/82, Basil 3/54) vs Kerala 190/3 (Azharuddeen 81). No play on Thursday.
Group B: In Vadodara: Baroda 174 & 259 (Krunal 74, Sheth 70; Vignesh 5/62) lost to 490/7 decl. Pts: Baroda 0, TN 7. In Shivamogga: Karnataka 426 vs MP 311/4 (Shrivatsava 109 n.o, Iyer 80 n.o.).
Group C: In Pune: Odisha 293 & 24/0 vs Maharashtra 543/5 decl (Bawne 204 n.o, Gaikwad 129, Shaikh 100).