Gurjapneet put Tamil Nadu on the front foot. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Gurjapneet Singh (four for 34) and Sai Kishore (four for 40) ran through the Uttarakhand batting line-up as Tamil Nadu enjoyed a near-perfect day one in the second-round Elite Group-D Ranji Trophy match at the MAC Stadium here on Sunday.
Opting to bowl under overcast skies after overnight rain delayed the start by an hour, TN bundled out Uttarakhand for just 134. In reply, the home team stood at 85 for two.
TN pacers Gurjapneet and Saravana Kumar hit their stride immediately and made full use of the favourable conditions, keeping the batters on tenterhooks.
The efforts paid off when the tall left-arm fast bowler struck twice in three overs, removing openers Aarav Mahajan and Dega Nischal.
Mixing things up
He mixed up angles by going around the wicket and moved the new ball both ways. Gurjapneet went back to over the wicket, slanted one across Kunal Chandela, and had the Uttarakhand skipper edge to B. Indrajith in the slip cordon for his third scalp of the morning.
Once the pacers enjoyed a breather, left-arm spinner Sai Kishore took over, dismissing Lakshya Raichandani at the stroke of lunch to leave the visitors tottering at 41 at four.
Sai Kishore piled on Uttarakhand’s misery. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
Post the break, things went further south for last year’s semifinalist as J. Suchith was run out at the striker’s end while scampering for a single. From 44 for six, Avneesh Sudha (54) and Mayank Mishra steadied things, stitching a 66-run stand.
Avneesh stepped out to the spinners and found a few boundaries. He also took two fours off Saravana Kumar to reach his half-century but was stumped immediately after. Trying to charge down to Sai Kishore, he was beaten by the extra bounce and turn.
In reply, the hosts lost opener Vimal Khumar for a duck, caught behind off Devendra Bora in the first over. N. Jagadeesan and Pradosh Ranjan Paul, however, added 64 for the second wicket, weathering the pacers’ opening burst and putting their team firmly in control before the former was sent back for 37.
The scores:
Uttarakhand — 1st innings: Aarav Mahajan c Jagadeesan b Gurjapneet 8, Dega Nischal lbw b Gurjapneet 3, Kunal Chandela c Indrajith b Gurjapneet 6, Lakshya Raichandani c Vimal b Sai Kishore 15, Avneesh Sudha st. Jagadeesan b Sai Kishore 54, J. Suchith run out 0, Saurabh Rawat c Andre b Sai Kishore 0, Mayank Mishra c Ajith Ram b Hemchudeshan 33, Aditya Rawat c Nidhish b Sai Kishore 0, Devendra Bora c Vimal b Gurjapneet 0, Janmejay Joshi (not out) 2; Extras (b-8, lb-3, w-2): 13; Total (in 56.2 overs): 134.
Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-15, 3-23, 4-41, 5-43, 6-44, 7-110, 8-110, 9-132.
Tamil Nadu bowling: Gurjapneet 13-3-34-4, Saravana Kumar 8-2-18-0, Sai Kishore 18-5-40-4, Ajith Ram 11-4-21-0, Hemchudeshan 6.2-0-10-1.
Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: Vimal Khumar c Saurabh b Bora 0, N. Jagadeesan b Avneesh 37, Pradosh Ranjan Paul batting 37, B. Indrajith batting 9; Extras (b-2): 2; Total (for two wkts. in 27 overs): 85.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-64.
Uttarakhand bowling: Bora 7-1-18-1, Joshi 3-0-11-0, Aditya 2-0-11-0, Mishra 7-1-23-0, Avneesh 3-0-10-1, Suchith 5-2-10-0.
Toss: TN.
Published - October 18, 2026 08:54 pm IST