Half-Century Blitz Keeps Tamil Nadu Steady at 281/7 Against Odisha on Ranji Day 1

On the first day of the Elite Group-A sixth-round Ranji Trophy match between Tamil Nadu and Odisha at the KIIT Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Tamil Nadu reached 281 for seven. This performance was bolstered by half-centuries from Pradosh Ranjan Paul (78 off 100 balls, 12 fours), Andre Siddarth (56 off 98 balls, 7 fours, 1 six), debutant Nidhish Rajagopal (54 not out off 71 balls, 8 fours), and opener S.R. Athish (50 off 126 balls, 4 fours, 1 six).

Odisha elected to bowl on a greenish pitch that created challenges for the Tamil Nadu batters. The morning session was marked by uncertainty, with close appeals, fine edges, and dropped chances. It required careful negotiation rather than bold stances, with occasional boundaries bringing brief respite.

Athish showed authority with a commanding off-drive against Rajesh Mohanty, while N. Jagadeesan and P. Vidyuth found the fence before departing early. Athish memorably pulled Mohanty for six, but a subsequent bouncer hinted at an unresolved contest.

Pradosh Ranjan Paul emerged as the defining presence of the morning. He batted with cautious restraint, refusing to be tempted by deliveries outside off-stump, while scoring efficiently when opportunities arose. His backfoot cover-drives were particularly noteworthy, executed once each against spinner Govinda Poddar and Mohanty. Unfortunately, with a century seemingly within reach, Pradosh was caught at cover off pacer Sambit Baral.

The day’s play was characterized by set batters failing to convert starts into bigger scores, a recurring theme as Tamil Nadu ended at 281 for seven.

Scores:

• Tamil Nadu, 1st innings:
  • S.R. Athish c Dhuper b Debabrata 50
  • N. Jagadeesan b Mohanty 7
  • P. Vidyuth c Shantanu b Mohanty 12
  • Pradosh Ranjan Paul c Prasant b Baral 78
  • Andre Siddarth c Roul b Poddar 56
  • G. Ajitesh st Dhuper b Samantaray 0
  • Nidhish Rajagopal (not out) 54
  • Sonu Yadav c Samantaray b Poddar 8
  • Sai Kishore (not out) 12
  • Extras (lb-3, nb-1): 4
  • Total (for 7 wickets in 83 overs): 281

Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-46, 3-111, 4-182, 5-183, 6-234, 7-252.

Odisha bowling:

• Mohanty 17-6-50-2
• Debabrata 17-2-37-1
• Baral 13-2-35-1
• Poddar 16-0-85-2
• Samantaray 11-0-29-1
• Badal 9-2-42-0

Published on Jan 22, 2026.