At 96/7, Jharkhand were in danger of being bowled out for cheap. However, No 9 batter Aditya Singh hit a handy 35 to help Jharkhand bolster their lead.

Chasing a small target can always be tricky. Therefore, Tamil Nadu began their task in earnest with Mohammed Ali (44) and N Jagadeesan being watchful and avoiding risks. However, Jagadeesan, after a while, lost patience and fell right in front to left-arm spinner Manishi.

Pradosh Ranjan Paul, too, fell and this upset the concentration of Mohammed as he succumbed to the guile of Manishi.

The pressure was on Vijay and Andre Siddarth to use their experience and build a partnership. After lasting 17 balls,  Andre caved into pressure with Manishi claiming his third wicket.  “When we set out for the chase, we were very confident. Ali and Jagadeesan started well. They were in no hurry to score runs as there was a lot of time. But once Jagadeesan fell, we lost the momentum and wickets began to fall. We expected Ali, who was well settled and had a feel of the surface, to make a big knock. But that was not to be,” said Ajith.

“Later, we expected Vijay and Andre to forge a good partnership as they have had a wonderful season and combined well in the previous games. Both started well and Andre looked like getting into the groove, but suddenly got out,” added the left-arm spinner.

Now, Tamil Nadu’s hopes rest on Vijay. It goes without saying it’s going to be a tough assignment. “All our hopes are on Vijay Shankar. He looked in good touch on Friday. He has the experience and we expect him to guide us to victory. While I was batting, the wicket was assisting the spinners a lot. One needs to concentrate hard and not be tempted to play loose shots. We are keen to give our best on Saturday,” signed off Ajith.