CHENNAI Chennai: After three consecutive draws, two-time champions Tamil Nadu made a strong comeback to register an innings and 25-run win over Railways on the fourth day of the elite Group D Ranji Trophy match in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Right-arm medium pacer Sonu Yadav (4/50) and in-form left-arm spinner S Ajit Ram (4/30) were the main architects of the crucial win with eight wickets each as Railways were bowled out for 184 runs in the second innings. Gave. Tamil Nadu's second win in five matches this season took it to second place in the table with 19 points, which will be followed by two more matches against Jharkhand and Chandigarh in January. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarter-finals. Tamil Nadu won its first match in the current season against Saurashtra at home and then achieved an innings victory against Delhi. The next two matches against Chhattisgarh and Assam did not go as planned as Tamil Nadu lost the innings lead and were in danger of falling out of the top two positions.
However, this spectacular win has breathed new life into their quest for that elusive third trophy and first trophy since 1988. The fact that Tamil Nadu achieved this win in the absence of regular captain R Sai Kishore, who was ruled out due to injury, underlined the team's impressive bench strength.
Building on their yesterday's score of 169 for 5, Railways suffered a setback just three balls into the day's play when Ajit Ram dismissed the dangerous looking Mohammad Saif for 52 (88b, 2×4, 2×6 ). A procession then ensued as the remaining four wickets fell in quick succession and only 15 runs were added. Ajit Ram and Sonu Yadav took the five wickets that fell on the last day. Tamil Nadu's Mohammad Ali, who scored 91 runs in the first innings, was chosen as the player of the match.
Brief scores: Railways 229 & 184, 48.4 overs (V Singh 63, Mohammad Saif 52, Ajit Ram 4/30, S Yadav 4/50)
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