By Admin 
Tamil Nadu amassed 455 in its first innings — its second-highest total this season after 512 for three declared against Nagaland — and had Uttar Pradesh reeling at 191 for 5 midway through the third day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group-A fifth-round clash. Yet, when proceedings came to a close by tea on the fourth day at the Sri Ramakrishna College ground on Wednesday, R. Sai Kishore and Co. had to reconcile to no more than a solitary point from a drawn contest in a troublesome campaign.
The match-defining performance responsible for TN’s plight was Rinku Singh’s 176 (247b, 17×4, 6×6). His highest First Class score helped the visitors post 460 and claim three points by dint of a five-run first-innings lead. It added to the gloom of a sombre TN dressing room that came to know of head coach M. Senthilnathan’s removal from the upcoming white-ball assignments on Tuesday night.
Rinku Singh.
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M. PERIASAMY
As well as the southpaw from Aligarh played on Wednesday to add to his overnight tally of 98, combining brute force down the ground with deft steers and glances, he did offer the hosts a flicker of hope when he skied P. Vidyuth to long-on for the left-arm spinner’s fourth wicket. At that juncture, U.P. was still trailing by 12 runs with one wicket remaining.
In the very next over, Aaqib Khan nudged his side ever closer by sweeping Sai Kishore for a four and six. The shot that elicited the loudest cheers from the U.P. camp came an over later, when No. 11 Kunal Tyagi squirted Vidyuth for a boundary through fine-leg to secure the lead.
TN was left to rue its sloppiness. Most glaringly, B. Sachin dropped Aaqib at silly point off Sai Kishore when U.P. was 38 runs behind.
Though the 22-year-old Sachin raised a half-century in a 99-run opening stand with N. Jagadeesan in the second innings, it did little to nurse TN’s wounds.
The scores: Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: 455.
Uttar Pradesh — 1st innings: Abhishek Goswami lbw b Vidyuth 79, Madhav Kaushik b Sai Kishore 21, Aryan Juyal b Vidyuth 43, Karan Sharma c & b Vidyuth 11, Rinku Singh c Sonu b Vidyuth 176, Aaradhya Yadav c Jagadeesan b Saravanakumar 4, Shivam Mavi c Jagadeesan b Saravanakumar 54, Shivam Sharma c Jagadeesan b Sonu 22, Kartik Yadav b Sai Kishore 20, Aaqib Khan (not out) 14, Kunal Tyagi c Andre b Sai Kishore 5; Extras (b-8, lb-3): 11; Total (in 145.1 overs): 460.
Fall of wickets: 1-73, 2-148, 3-149, 4-182, 5-191, 6-295, 7-348, 8-407, 9-443.
TN bowling: Warrier 31-6-107-0, Saravanakumar 22-2-76-2, Sai Kishore 39.1-6-99-3, Sonu 20-3-77-1, Vidyuth 28-4-73-4, Pradosh 5-1-17-0.
Tamil Nadu — 2nd innings: B. Sachin b Shivam 59, N. Jagadeesan c Mavi b Goswami 44, Pradosh Ranjan Paul (not out) 0; Total (for two wickets. in 21 overs): 103.
Fall of wickets: 1-99, 2-103.
U.P. bowling: Tyagi 5-0-29-0, Kartik 3-0-18-0, Shivam 7-1-34-1, Karan 3.3-0-8-0, Kaushik 0.3-0-8-0, Rinku 1-0-2-0, Goswami 1-0-4-1. PoM: Rinku.