In a dominant display, Tamil Nadu swiftly chased down a modest target to defeat Punjab by nine wickets on the final day of the Ranji Trophy, securing their place in the quarterfinals and clinching the top spot in Group C.
With a decisive victory, Tamil Nadu accumulated six points, consolidating their position at the summit with a total of 28 points from seven matches. Karnataka, who settled for a draw against Chandigarh in Hubballi on Monday, also advanced to the quarterfinals, securing the second spot in the group with 27 points.
Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore emerged as the star for Tamil Nadu on Monday, claiming four crucial wickets as Punjab was bundled out for 231 in 64.2 overs. Having enforced the follow-on, Tamil Nadu capitalised on their first-innings lead, restricting Punjab's response to 274.
Ajith Ram (3/52), Pradosh Ranjan Paul (3/23) complemented their Sunday performance, securing an additional wicket each as Punjab managed to add only 51 runs from 24.2 overs, losing six wickets in their second innings. Starting the final day at 180 for 4, Punjab faced a daunting task, and the disciplined bowling attack of Tamil Nadu ensured their swift downfall.
Requiring a mere 71 runs for victory, Tamil Nadu accomplished the task in just seven overs, losing only one wicket in the process. Narayan Jagadeesan and Pradosh Ranjan Paul remained unbeaten at 26 and 22, respectively, while Suresh Lokeshwar contributed 19 crucial runs, guiding Tamil Nadu to a comfortable 71 for 1 and sealing the match.
Ranji Trophy: Aditya Sarwate's All-Round Show Helps Vidarbha Beat Haryana To Go Through To Quarterfinals
In another encounter, Chandigarh concluded the final day at 236 for 5 in their second innings against Karnataka in Hubballi. Karnataka, having posted a formidable 563 for 5 declared in their first innings on Sunday, secured three points from the match based on the first-innings lead. Chandigarh, with one point from the drawn match, ended at the seventh position in the eight-team group, totaling six points.
Despite a convincing seven-wicket win over Goa on Sunday, Gujarat missed the quarterfinal bus, finishing third in the group with 25 points, two points behind Karnataka, from seven matches. Railways, triumphing over Tripura by five wickets on Monday in Agartala, secured the fourth spot with 24 points from seven matches.
Meanwhile, Vidarbha beat Haryana to secure a place in the Ranji Quarterfinals. Spin bowling all-rounder Aditya Sarwate produced a great show as they went on to beat Haryana by 115 runs with him scalping 3 wickets in the first innings and 2 in the second and scoring 99 and 42 in the first and the second innings respectively.