Having already qualified for the knock out phase, Tamil Nadu couldafford to go all out to press home their advantage against UttarPradesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur
13-Mar-2000Having already qualified for the knock out phase, Tamil Nadu couldafford to go all out to press home their advantage against UttarPradesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. The presence of Test capSadagoppan Ramesh at the head of the order helped bolster a battingline up that was in good nick as it is.Opening the bowling for Uttar Pradesh, Ashish Winston Zaidi struckearly, getting rid of Ramesh after the south paw managed just sixruns. However, that was all the joy Uttar Pradesh were entitle to asSridharan Sriram stole the limelight with a scintillating unbeatenhundred. Well supported by hard hitting youngster Hemang K Badani,Sriram notched up milestone after milestone in the course of theday. Reaching his fifty off a sedate 121 balls, Sriram then increasedthe tempo, requiring only an additional 61 balls to reach the threefigure mark. Sharing a 109 run partnership with Badani, Sriram tookTamil Nadu to a position of real strength.When Badani (62) was stumped by Manoj Mudgal off the bowling of RazaUttar Pradesh might have thought they finally got the breakthroughthat would help them restrict the rampaging Tamil Nadu side. No suchluck. JR Madanagopal walked out to the middle and joined theunstoppable Sriram. Helping himself to an unbeaten 80 that includedfive boundaries and two sixes, Madanagopal saw Sriram through to152. With Sriram unbeaten on 152, stumps were called. At 311 for 2, itwould be safe to say that Tamil Nadu are firmly in the driving seat atthe end of the first day.