Ranji Trophy: Aparajith, TN bowlers shine on Day 2

Chhattisgarh in their Ranji Trophy clash at the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on Friday. Baba Aparajith’s (166, 15x4, 4x6) top effort helped Tamil Nadu declare their first innings on 470-9 before the spinners Sai Kishore (2-20) and M Siddharth (2-35) – played a key role in reducing Chhattisgarh to 105-5 at stumps on Day 2. Continuing from his overnight score of 101, Aparajith --- in the company of M Shahrukh Khan (69, 8x4, 2x6) kept Tamil Nadu’s scoreboard ticking with a 125-run fifth wicket stand in 177 deliveries.

Shahrukh played an entertaining innings with drives, reverse sweeps, pulls and upper cuts before being bowled by left-arm spinner Sumit Ruikar (4-168) for 105-ball 69. His knock contained 8 fours and 2 sixes. Despite losing N Jagadeesan (0) run out off the very first ball he faced --- Aparajith marched on with shots across the ground.

Aparajith added 42 for the 7th wicket with Sai Kishore (19, 3x4) that took Tamil Nadu’s total past the 400-run mark. Aparajith’s 267-ball knock ended when he was caught by Harpreet Singh at covers off Ruikar. M Mohammed (18, 1x4, 1x6) and Siddharth (6 n.o.) got some valuable runs before the declaration was made.

Unlike the Chhattisgarh bowlers, the Tamil Nadu attack kept things tight from the start. Siddharth and Sai Kishore didn’t allow the Chhattisgarh batsmen any freebies. The two accounted for openers Akhil Herwadkar (11, 2x4) and Sanidhya Hurkat (6, 1x4) and medium-pacer Mohammed got rid of Ashutosh Singh (9, 1x4) to leave Chhattisgarh on 40-3 in the 18th over.