Tamil Nadu’s Pradosh Ranjan Paul. File.
| Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY
Debutant and opener S. Lokeshwar struck his maiden fifty (52, 129b, 6×4) and Pradosh Ranjan Paul adopted up his first-innings 71 with one other high quality fifty (65, 125b, 6×4) as Tamil Nadu, chasing 137, cruised to a seven-wicket win over Goa on day 4 of the elite Group-C match within the fifth spherical of the Ranji Trophy on the Goa Cricket Association (GCA) Academy floor in Porvorim on February 5.
This is Tamil Nadu’s third consecutive win and it retains the highest spot in Group-C with 21 factors and superior run quotient over Karnataka (21).
Vijay Shankar hit the profitable shot, a six off the medium-pace of Suyash Prabhudessai over the lengthy off boundary.
Earlier, Lokeshwar was dropped on his in a single day rating of 34 by Manthan Khutkar at foolish level off left-arm spinner Darshan Misal on the second ball of the day. Misal later had him leg earlier than.
The diminutive opener remarkably scooped off-spinner Mohit Redkar to the high quality leg boundary.
Pradosh hit three consecutive fours off medium-pacer Deepraj Gaonkar. He charged and lofted the ball to the cow nook boundary, ramped it to the high quality leg boundary, and flicked off his pads to the sq. boundary.
He edged his drive to be caught by Misal at first slip off Prabhudessai.
Pradosh and Lokeshwar added 96 runs for the second-wicket partnership.
Pradosh was adjudged the player-of-the-match for his two fifties (71 and 65) and two wickets (two for 18). In a pleasant gesture, he gave away his award to the debutant Lokeshwar.
The scores:
Goa – 1st innings: 241.
Tamil Nadu – 1st innings: 273.
Goa – 2nd innings: 168.
Tamil Nadu – 2nd innings: S. Lokeshwar lbw b Misal 52, N. Jagadeesan b Misal 4, Pradosh Ranjan Paul c Misal b Prabhudessai 65, Baba Indrajith (not out) 7, Vijay Shankar (not out) 13; Extras (b-1): 1; Total (for 3 wickets in 49.5 overs): 142.
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-109, 3-128.
Goa bowling: Misal 24-6-51-2, Arjun 2-0-5-0, Redkar 20-2-55-0, Gaonkar 1-0-14-0, Prabhudessai 2.5-0-16-1.
