Ranji Trophy SF: Sai Kishore's five-wicket haul propels Tamil Nadu back into contention

In the ongoing clash at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy BKC in Mumbai, Mumbai and Tamil Nadu are embroiled in an intense battle in the second semi-final of the Ranji Trophy 2023-24.

A recent twist in the tale saw left-arm spinner Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore shine as the star of the second day, taking a remarkable five wickets to catapult Tamil Nadu back into contention. His stellar performance limited Mumbai to a score of 125 for the loss of seven wickets at lunch on day two in response to Tamil Nadu's 146. Alongside Sai Kishore, pacers Kuldeep Sen and Sandeep Warrier also contributed, grabbing a wicket apiece. 32-year-old Warrier was the one who dismissed Indian middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer for just the 3 runs, as he disturbed his furniture to send Iyer packing.

Musheer Khan stood tall for Mumbai, displaying resilience with a hard-fought 55 off 131 before falling victim to Sai Kishore's cunning bowling. Meanwhile, the struggles persisted for Mumbai's captain Ajinkya Rahane, managing only 19 off 67 balls, and the highly-anticipated Shreyas Iyer departed after scoring a mere three runs.

At the moment of writing, Shardul Thakur and Hardik Tamore were occupying the crease, with the aim of building a partnership that exceeds Tamil Nadu's first-innings total and establishes a substantial lead.

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Tamil Nadu were skittled for 146, Vijay Shankar-Washington Sundar showed some resistance

The previous day witnessed a challenging situation for Tamil Nadu as they were bundled out for a modest 146 in their first innings after winning the toss and batting first in the semi-final encounter of the Ranji Trophy 2024. Six batters failed to reach double digits, courtesy of precise and incisive bowling by the Mumbai bowlers.

Star all-rounder, Vijay Shankar, emerged as the top scorer with 44 to his name, closely followed by another all-rounder, Washington Sundar, who scored a valuable 43. However, they were the lone warriors for Tamil Nadu on day one, stitching a crucial 42-run partnership for the sixth wicket to bail their side out of a precarious situation. Tushar Deshpande from Mumbai played a pivotal role with three crucial wickets, while Shardul Thakur, Musheer Khan, and Tanush Kotian each chipped in with a couple of dismissals respectively.

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