Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Tamil Nadu vs Karnataka ends in an exhilarating draw at Chepauk

A Tamil Nadu-Karnataka recreation is among the marquee clashes on the home calendar. True to its billing, the 2 sides dished out a humdinger that went right down to the wire earlier than ending in a stalemate on the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium right here on Monday.

TN, chasing 355 on the ultimate day of the Ranji Trophy conflict, got here inside hanging distance of the goal earlier than ending 17 runs behind, whereas Karnataka was two wickets away from a win.

Nonetheless, the match wouldn’t have gone so deep if not for half-centuries from Pradosh Ranjan Paul (74), B. Indrajith (98) and Vijay Shankar (60), which stored the host within the hunt regardless of dealing with stiff odds initially of the day.

Rather a lot relied on Indrajith for TN to have an opportunity of even salvaging some extent on a pitch aiding spinners, and the 29-year-old rose to the event. 

Indrajith was nimble on his toes, particularly off the backfoot towards the tweakers and held fort at one finish, constructing partnerships with Pradosh and later Vijay Shankar – with whom he added 125 runs for the sixth wicket.

In a single day batters Pradosh and opener Vimal Khumar performed out the primary hour with out bother after resuming the day on 36 for one. Pradosh seemed fluent and hit a flurry of boundaries, as TN managed 114 runs within the first session. The left-hander focused the sq. boundary with consecutive ramp photographs over the slips off V. Kaverappa. He reached his half-century with a sweep to the fence off Hardik Raj. 

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Nonetheless, simply 10 minutes earlier than lunch, the 23-year-old poked at a supply from Vyshak and was caught at slip.

At 199 for 5, Indrajith and Vijay Shankar wanted to bat out almost 34 overs. The previous hit a couple of boundaries earlier than Vijay joined the act with a swept 4 and 6, forcing the customer to go on the defensive by bowling destructive leg-side strains with 9 fielders on the ropes. The duo ran loads of twos and lowered the goal to 97 off the final 15 obligatory overs.

Karnataka took the brand new ball with 41 wanted off the final 5 and bought a breakthrough when Indrajith was run out attempting to steal a single, two in need of a well-deserved century. 

Within the subsequent over, Vijay Shankar was caught at long-on off Vyshak, and TN’s cost ended at that time, however not earlier than placing on a present that added lustre to this famed rivalry.