Mahipal Lomror holds firm as Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu settle for Ranji Trophy draw in Jaipur

Mahipal Lomror secures three points for Rajasthan

Mahipal Lomror scored a gritty 84 that helped Rajasthan secure three vital points against Tamil Nadu as the four-day Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match ended in a tame draw at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Wednesday. Tamil Nadu had to be content with one point after conceding the 89-run first-innings lead on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu needed a few quick wickets in the first session on Day 4 to give themselves a chance of victory, but Mahipal and Kartik Sharma shattered those hopes with a solid 78-run stand for the fourth wicket. Extending their stay from 81/4 on Day 3, the pair denied the visitors any wicket and scored at a brisk pace to take the game beyond their reach.

Kukna and Mahipal close the door

Kartik (42 off 75 balls) was out trying to sweep Sai Kishore, by which time the hosts were largely in a safe zone. Ajay Singh Kukna then provided solid support to Mahipal, and their 83-run stand for the sixth wicket, with Kukna unbeaten on 32, closed the door on Tamil Nadu's comeback bid. Mahipal was eventually dismissed for 84 off 170 balls, with seven fours.

Manav Suthar then declared the innings, setting Tamil Nadu an improbable target of 282 in less than two sessions. The visitors made no real attempt to chase and reached 73 without loss at tea. Narayan Jagadeesan (45 not out) and Sai Sudharsan (26 not out) were at the crease when the match was called off.

Captains and coach reflect on the result

Tamil Nadu coach Yo Mahesh, who was newly appointed, pointed to the positives. "There are several positives from this season-opener. Deepesh Devendran impressed with his three-wicket haul on debut. Experienced seamer Saravana Kumar also made a strong comeback, while Andre Siddharth batted brilliantly to keep our hopes alive on the third day. Sai Kishore gave us early breakthroughs in the second essay," he said.

Yo Mahesh also admitted missed chances. "We had our chances but we couldn't latch on to those. In the second innings we had Rajasthan reeling at 31/4 and we should have capitalised on it. Credit must be given to Mahipal and Kartik for the way they batted and frustrated us. The toss, too, played a critical role," he said.

Tamil Nadu skipper Sai Kishore felt the lower-order collapse had put them on the back foot. "We had a fairly good start with both Jagadeesan and Pradosh hitting fifties. Then Baba Indrajith and Andre kept us in the hunt but once that unfortunate run out of Sonu Yadav happened it did affect our march towards taking the first-innings lead. Rajasthan bowlers especially Kukna bowled really well," he said.

Rajasthan captain Manav Suthar was pleased with the outcome. "Certainly it was a very good result for us. Tamil Nadu is traditionally a formidable side with a couple of India players in their ranks. We did really well to start with three points. It's a positive beginning for us in the season."

Debutants and returnees shine

Rajasthan were without several regular bowlers, including Khaleel Ahmed, Aniket Choudhary, Deepak Chahar and Rahul Chahar. Rohan Rajbhar, Chetan Sharma and Hemant Kumar all made their debuts. Karan Lamba returned to the side after two years and struck an important hundred in the first innings. Manav said Kukna's five-wicket haul had turned the match in Rajasthan's favour. Manav will leave for New Zealand in a couple of days to join India 'A'.

Brief scores

Rajasthan 363 and 192/6 declared in 34 overs (Mahipal Lomror 84, Kartik Sharma 42, Ajay Singh Kukna 32*; Sai Kishore 3-50)

Tamil Nadu 274 and 73/0 in 98.4 overs (Sai Sudharsan 26*, Narayan Jagadeesan 45*)

Match drawn. Points: Rajasthan 3, Tamil Nadu 1.