Andhra chase 201 for Tamil Nadu as Reddy shines on Day 3
Andhra chase 201 for Tamil Nadu as Reddy shines on Day 3
Abhishek Reddy’s 70 guides Andhra past Tamil Nadu’s 195 in a tight Ranji Trophy finish at Visakhapatnam’s ACA-VDCA stadium.
Andhra pulled off a spirited final-day chase to beat Tamil Nadu by four wickets in aRanji Trophy Elite Group-A clash at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. The hosts chased 201 with six wickets down on the third day, riding on a sequence of patient blows and a sharp finish from their middle order. Abhishek Reddy’s 70 off 75 balls provided the early momentum, as he stitched a crucial 72-run second-wicket stand with Karan Shinde, who struck 51 off 64. The pair helped Andhra recover from a wobble after losing four quick wickets, setting the stage for a a nerve-wracking finish.
Tamil Nadu had started the day strongly, bowling Andhra out for 177 in their first innings after posting 182 in the first. Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar then returned to torment TN with a four-wicket haul (four for 46), including the prized scalps of B. Indrajith and Andre Siddarth, as Andhra’s opponents swung both ways with the ball. Off-spinner Tripurana Vijay also chipped in, while Andhra’s batsmen were undone at times by late-bouncing deliveries, with Bharat and Rasheed among those dismissed by Sai Kishore and Vidyuth.
On the other side, Tamil Nadu were bowled out for 195 in their second essay, limiting Andhra to a chase of 201. But the chase began with calm, and although Andhra slipped from 158 for two to 162 for six, Raju (20 not out) and Ashwin Hebbar (21 not out) steadied the innings. Raju lofted a four to long-on and followed with a six to cow corner as 14 were needed, easing the pressure and guiding Andhra to safety.
Rasheed, who had earlier reminded everyone of his potential with an unbeaten 87 in the first-innings dash, summed up the visitors’ mood with a hopeful declaration: “We didn’t get the lead, maybe, but we’ll definitely get an outright win!” The day ended with Andhra’s win securing four crucial points and signaling a buoyant finish to the four-day contest.
This result keeps Andhra's Ranji Trophy campaign very much alive as they look to build momentum in a tightly contested group, while Tamil Nadu will be left to rue the missed opportunities on a pitch that offered uneven bounce and sharpVariable turn at times.
Cover image source: Ranji Trophy | Mumbai tightens the noose around Himachal 🔗
