Ranji Trophy: Saurashtra take honours against Tamil Nadu on Day 1

Saurashtra bowlers led by skipper Jaydev Unadkat dished out a clinical show to restrict Tamil Nadu to 250/7 in their last Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match in Rajkot on Wednesday.

While the result of the game would not affect Saurashtra, as they have qualified for the knockouts already, it would have a bearing on Tamil Nadu’s prospects as nothing short of a win would help the side.

For Tamil Nadu, the experienced Abhinav Mukund (86) and N Jagadeesan (61 not out) scored fifties.

Jagadeesan’s knock ensured that the visitors reached the 250-run mark.

Tamil Nadu openers Mukund (86 off 112 balls) and L Suryaprakash (10) added 49 runs for the first wicket, before Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (1-72) removed the latter at the SCA Stadium in Khandheri.

One-down M Kaushik Gandhi (17) also failed to convert his start even as left-handed Mukund continued his good form and notched up his 50 in 67 balls.

However, Tamil Nadu slipped to 132/4 from 102/2, as Undakat (3-25) took two quick wickets.

First the left-arm pacer trapped V Ganga Sridhar (13) in front of the wicket and then removed a well-set Mukund in a similar fashion to put Tamil Nadu in a spot of bother.

Then skipper Baba Aparajith (20) and wicket-keeper Jagadeesan tried to rally the Tamil Nadu innings with their 42 run stand for the fifth wicket.

But as the two were looking good, Chirag Jani (2-44) broke the stand sending Aparajith back to the pavilion.

Tamil Nadu took tea at 181/5.

After tea, Unadkat took his third wicket, as Tamil Nadu were reeling at 181/6.

Then Jagadeesan played a responsible knock and he first got able support from R Sai Kishore (27).

Jagadeesan and M Mohammed (1) were at the crease when stumps were drawn.

Meanwhile, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Sarfaraz Khan and Aakarshit Gomel hammered hundreds to take Mumbai to a commanding 352/4 in an inconsequential game against Madhya Pradesh.

Gomel made his first-class debut.

Both the teams are already out of the tournament.

For Mumbai, Sarfaraz (169 not out) and Gomel (122) steadied the ship with their 275-run stand after the top order failed once again.

This season belonged to Sarfaraz, who has hit a triple hundred, double hundred and now a hundred.

In Bengaluru, Karnataka bowlers shot out Baroda for paltry 85 and then took the first innings lead.