Chennai, Jan 20: Rajasthan look set to bat Tamil Nadu out of the Ranji Tophy final after the defending champions reached a mammoth score of 404 for the loss of two wickets on Day 2. Opener Vineet Saxena, who was 120 not out overnight, produced the first double-ton of his first-class career to guide Rajasthan to a massive first-innings score.
The day began with opener Aakash Chopra on 86, looking good to score a century. However, left-arm orthodox spinner Aushik Srinivas trapped Chopra lbw with his first delivery of the day when the latter was on 94, breaking the 236-run opening stand.
But Tamil Nadu’s relief was short-lived as Saxena and Rajasthan captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar set about consolidating the impressive start to the visitors’ innings. Kanitkar reached his half-century in the second session and Rajasthan went in to tea comfortably placed at 362 for the loss of one wicket.
However, Sunny Gupta broke the 126-run stand between Chopra and Kanitkar (67) in just the second over after tea. The Tamil Nadu offspinner tossed the ball up to Kanitkar, inviting him to drive through the offside but Kanitkar only managed to nick the delivery to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik. Rajasthan’s first-innings score had swelled to 362 by this time, with Saxena having crossed the 150-run mark.
Saxena eventually got to his double hundred in the final hour of the day’s play. The Rajasthan opener got a thickish edge to a delivery from Yo Mahesh which ran away to the third-man fence to bring up the landmark.
Rajasthan finished the day at 404 for the loss of two wickets with Saxena (207*) and middle-order batsman Robin Bist (16*) looking good to extend the visitors’ first-innings score on Day 3.
