Coimbatore, Oct 14 (IANS): Tamil Nadu began their campaign in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season with a dominant innings and 70-run victory over Saurashtra in Elite Group D as Ambala-born left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh claimed a six-wicket haul to bowl out the visitors for a mere 94 runs in their second innings at the Coimbatore Stadium.

Saurashtra, a powerhouse in domestic cricket, had no answer to Gurjapneet’s devastating spell, as he tore through their famed batting line-up. His remarkable figures of 14-5-22-6 included the crucial wickets of veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson, along with key middle-order batsmen like Chirag Jani, Arpit Vasavada, and Prerak Mankad.

The foundation for Tamil Nadu’s resounding victory was laid in the first innings when their bowlers restricted Saurashtra to 203. In response, Tamil Nadu’s batsmen took charge, with Narayan Jagadeesan leading the way with a century. Sai Sudharsan contributed a solid 82, while Pradosh Ranjan Paul chipped in with 49, helping Tamil Nadu post an imposing 367 on the board.

When Saurashtra came out to bat again, they were clearly under pressure. Gurjapneet struck early, removing Cheteshwar Pujara for a six-ball duck. Despite efforts from the ground staff to recover the pitch after heavy rainfall, the conditions proved favourable for Tamil Nadu’s seamers, and Gurjapneet took full advantage.

Saurashtra’s batting collapse handed Tamil Nadu a massive innings victory, securing all seven points from the game. The win marks an ideal start for the team as they set their sights on their next match against Delhi on October 18.

Brief scores:

Saurashtra 203 & 94 all out in 40.4 overs (Sheldon Jackson 38, Arpit Vasvada 22; Gurpanjeet Singh 6-22, Sonu Yadav 3-29) lost to Tamil Nadu 367 all out in 121.3 overs (Narayan Jagadeesan 100, Sai Sudarshan 82; Jaydev Undakat 6-61; Yuvrajsinh Dodiya 2-59) by inning and 70 runs.