TNCA President’s XI rallied to post a respectable 291 for six on day two of the Buchi Babu semifinal against Hyderabad in Tirunelveli. The team’s recovery was sparked by an unbroken 91-run seventh-wicket partnership between S. Rithik Easwaran (83 batting) and M. Mohammed (41 batting).
Hyderabad’s left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan had earlier given his side the advantage with a four-wicket haul, dismissing openers S. Radhakrishnan and R. Vimal Khumar (75) and later Andre Siddharth and A. Badrinath cheaply.
However, Easwaran and Mohammed steadied the innings, guiding TNCA President’s XI out of a precarious position. Easwaran, in particular, played a crucial role, hitting six fours and two sixes in his patient knock.
Earlier, Khumar and K.T.A. Madhava Prasad (40) had provided a solid start for TNCA President’s XI, putting on 94 runs for the second wicket. But Thyagarajan’s intervention, followed by the dismissals of Madhava Prasad and Vimal, left the team reeling at 200 for six.
Hyderabad, who had posted 313 in their first innings, will be looking to capitalize on their 22-run lead when play resumes on day three. TNCA President’s XI, on the other hand, will need to bat aggressively to put pressure back on their opponents.
