CHENNAI: Pradosh Ranjan Paul's brilliant century (136) and his 171-run partnership with B Indrajith (77) for the third wicket put Tamil Nadu in command as they ended Day 2 with a 170 run-lead over Uttarakhand in a Elite D group Ranji Trophy match at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Monday. Uttarakhand were nine for one in seven overs in their second essay when stumps were drawn.
Both Pradosh and Indrajith played in tandem, as they displayed maturity in their knocks.
Knowing well that the first hour of the day would favour the bowlers, the duo with overnight scores of 37 and 9, did not take any risks. Pradosh chose discretion over flair and many a time went well behind the line of the ball and blocked it. He was at ease at either foot and played some attractive shots on the backfoot, in particular the point area, to the delight of the small crowd that had gathered in anticipation of a century from him. He did not disappoint and scored his ninth First-Class ton.
R Srinivasan, assistant coach of the Tamil Nadu team, doffed his hat to Pradosh. "It’s definitely not an easy wicket to bat on. Initially, Pradosh applied himself very well, and he focused more on concentrating on playing straight. He focused on the V-shaped area in front of him, between mid-on and mid-off. His level of maturity was visible," Srinivasan said.
"He handled the innings well. He waited for the right opportunities and played sensibly. He showed very good patience on a turning track. I feel that Pradosh had that confidence to play a long innings," added the assistant coach. Pradosh was pleased to get a ton on his home ground. “It’s obviously very satisfying because scoring a hundred at Chepauk is always a special feeling. I’m happy that I was able to contribute to the team’s cause," said an elated Pradosh after the day's play. He spoke on the partnership he built with his senior colleague. “I really enjoyed batting with him (Indrajith), especially today (Monday). I think this was one of the most memorable partnerships I’ve ever had. He was always there, guiding me and offering suggestions. I really enjoyed batting with him," he added.
After Indrajith fell leg before by a low bounce delivery to Mayank Mishra, the Tamil Nadu batting order collapsed like a pack of cards.
But Pradosh said that ups and downs are part of the game and was confident that his batters will score in the remaining games. "I can’t be too harsh on everyone because that’s the beauty of this game. In every match, there will be two or three batters who score runs, and their job is to make those starts count by scoring big. Fortunately, Indrajith and I were able to score big this time. In the coming games, our other batters will also score big runs," he said.
Realised that I have to focus on the process after 59-wicket season: Mayank
Mishra was one of the standout spinners from the previous seasons, scalping 59 wickets in Uttarakhand’s miraculous journey to the semifinals. He was only one wicket behind Auqib Nabi (60) who went on to win the Ranji Trophy with Jammu and Kashmir. The spinner spoke on his approach for this season. "When I took 59 wickets in eight matches and still couldn't find myself getting anywhere, it made me realize that I just have to focus on the process and do what is within my control. That's all I can do. Even after taking 59 wickets in a season, if you don't get any recognition or get selected for anything, you stop thinking too much about it. It's quite disappointing. It was disappointing for me," he said.
And on Monday, he showed what he is capable of. Returning with a five-wicket haul, he said the wicket had some purchase on it. “It was a little drier. On Sunday, it had more moisture, which is why the ball was turning a lot. On Monday the ball was coming through straighter, although it was still turning as well. I wouldn't say it was a completely settled wicket, but it was definitely a better wicket," said Mayank.
There were a lot of bowling marks on both sides of the wicket and the rough helping the spinners.
"But the opposition played really well. They are good at playing off the back foot, and they used that ability very effectively," Mishra said, praising Pradosh's patience in particular.
Brief scores: Uttarakhand 134 & 9/1 in 7 ovs vs Tamil Nadu 313 in 109 ovs (Pradosh Ranjan Paul 136, B Indrajith 77, Mayank Mishra 5/118, Avneesh Sudha 4/34).