On the back of an all-round show, Tamil Nadu notched a comfortable six-wicket victory over Baroda to enter the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.
Baroda, electing to bat, folded up for 219 in 49.3 overs. They were kept in check by Tamil Nadu spinners, who bowled a tight line in accordance with the field set.
Left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore returned with figures of 4-59. And though the southern side lost their openers early, Dinesh Karthik (77) and captain Vijay Shankar (53 n.o.) played innings of substance to fashion a successful chase in 47.3 overs.
After pacer Atit Sheth removed the openers for 35 runs, Karthik forged two crucial partnerships -- of 60 runs with Baba Aparajit for the third-wicket and 88 for the fourth with Shankar. On a slow track, Karthik put his experience to good use. He began briskly, before settling down to build the innings in the calm company of Shankar. The wicket-keeper batsman, who brought his half century with a single to long-off, fell to Sheth in the 42nd over. Karthik had come forward to charge the seamer, but the ball swung in and hit the top of off-stump.
With Tamil Nadu needing 37 to win, offie Washington Sundar, who had taken 2-20 in the morning, replaced Karthik. The left-handed batsman took his time before opening his arms for two sixes off Soaeb Tai. Alongwith Shankar, he provided the finishing touches.
Earlier, Baroda openers Kedar Devdhar and Aditya Waghmode mustered 92 runs. Krunal Pandya pushed the scoring with a 39-ball 30 after Deepak Hooda was bowled by Washington for a duck. With strokeplay difficult in the conditions and Tamil Nadu superb in the outfield, Yusuf Pathan struggled for timing and the pressure was on Pandya to push the scoring.
However, left-arm spinner Rahil Shah removed both Pandya and Yusuf Pathan off successive deliveries to increase Baroda's woes. Pandya was caught superbly by M Mohammad who ran to his right before diving to take the catch. Pathan’s lofted attempt was undone by Aswin Crist who took another good catch at mid-on.
Pinal Shah (36) stitched 44 runs with captain Irfan Pathan for the sixth wicket and 30 more with Swapnil Singh to help cross the 200-run mark, but against the quality of Tamil Nadu, Baroda ended up posing a light challenge.
DH News Service
Brief scores: Baroda: 219 all out in 49.3 overs (Kedar Devdhar 46, Aditya Waghmode 45, Pinal Shah 36; Aswin Crist 2-22, Rahil Shah 2-36, Washington Sundar 2-20, R Sai Kishore 4-59) lt to Tamil Nadu: 220/4 in 47.3 overs (Baba Aparajith 28, Dinesh Karthik 77, Vijay Shankar 53, Atit Sheth 3-36).
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