Ranji Trophy | Athish and Sonu take the game away from Odisha

Opener S.R. Athish journeyed from a scratchy maiden fifty in the first innings to a far more compact, at times flamboyant, career-best 88 (162b, 9×4, 3×6) on day three of the Elite Group-A sixth-round Ranji Trophy match against Odisha at the KIIT Stadium here on Saturday.

Sonu Yadav then followed up his maiden five-for with an unfettered career-best 74 (75b, 4×4, 5×6) as Tamil Nadu, after scoring 316, set Odisha a target of 455.

After fog delayed the start by 35 minutes, Athish and pacer Rajesh Mohanty lent the first session its pulse – a cold war played out in short balls and stares, in ducks and defiance.

As Mohanty shortened his length, Athish took him on with the hook, the ball climbing towards fine-leg before Debabrata Pradhan spilt the chance on 33. Mohanty’s response was immediate and pointed – two more short balls in the same over. Athish ducked one, then walked down the track and swayed away from the other. Mohanty stared him down on both occasions, daring him to flinch.

Athish chose to respond in the pacer’s next over. Another short ball from Mohanty, this time pulled with authority, threading the gap between deep backward-square-leg and fine-leg. The next one was shorter still, and Athish was ready – swivelling, rolling his wrists, and sending it sailing over deep backward-square-leg for a six. The bat did the talking now; the glares answered without a glance. His fifty arrived fittingly – a cover drive off Mohanty, a stroke of calm after the storm.

Athish was put down on 65 by Biplab Samantaray at first slip off pacer Sambit Baral, a reprieve he made count by taking the spinners head-on in the second session.

The third session belonged to Sonu. He unfurled a catalogue of clean hits against spinners, including straight and long-on sixes off left-arm spinner Badal Biswal in the same over, before signing off with a wicket.

The scores: Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 286.

Odisha — 1st innings: 148.

Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: S.R. Athish lbw b Poddar 88, N. Jagadeesan lbw b Baral 4, P. Vidyuth c Dhuper b Baral 8, Pradosh Ranjan Paul c Shantanu b Samantaray 22, Andre Siddarth c Dhuper b Samantaray 1, G. Ajitesh lbw b Badal 49, Nidhish Rajagopal lbw b Debabrata 16, Sonu Yadav b Badal 74, Sai Kishore c Samantaray b Badal 40, Gurjapneet Singh c Baral b Shantanu 5, Trilok Nag (not out) 0; Extras (lb-6, w-1, nb-2): 9; Total (in 88.2 overs): 316.

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-31, 3-76, 4-98, 5-154, 6-179, 7-207, 8-309, 9-316.

Odisha bowling: Mohanty 14-4-50-0, Debabrata 13-3-24-1, Baral 18-3-61-2, Poddar 14-0-63-1, Samantaray 11-2-22-2, Badal 12.2-1-56-3, Shantanu 6-134-1.

Odisha — 2nd innings: Swastik Samal c Sonu b Sai Kishore 10, Shantanu lbw b Sonu 0, Subhranshu Senapati (batting) 36; Extras (b-1): 1; Total (for two wkts in 15.3 overs): 47.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-47.

Tamil Nadu bowling: Gurjapneet 6-2-22-0, Sonu 5-1-14-1, Trilok 3-0-8-0, Vidyuth 1-0-1-0, Sai Kishore 0.3-0-1-1.