Haryana reel under Sriram's assault

A splendid 177 by opener Sridharan Sriram put Tamil Nadu in firm control on the second day of their Super League match against Haryana at Gurgaon today. A 166 run 3rd wicket partnership between Sriram and JR Madanagopal (74) saw the visiting side close at 371-5, a lead of 163. The Tamil Nadu batsmen scored at a brisk pace during the day with 328 runs coming off the 90 overs bowled.

Continuing where they left off yesterday at 43-0, Sriram and Aashish Kapoor took their stand to 80 before the latter departed for a rapidly made 55 (60 balls, 9 fours). Hemang Badani added a further 85 in Sriram's company before he was castled by Pradeep Jain. But these were merely appetisers that laid the way for the main course, the Sriram-Madanagopal association, that carried the score to 331. It was brought to an end when Madanagopal (170 balls, 4 fours) was thrown out by Jitender Singh.

Sriram's 177 (275 balls, 17 fours) was his third century in four Ranji matches this season. Although Sriram and Tanvir Jabbar fell to Jain in the space of three balls, with the score at 354, Tamil Nadu are still comfortably placed with two of their big guns, Sridharan Sharath (10) and captain Robin Singh (15), manning the crease at stumps. Left arm spinner Jain was the only spark (4-121) for Haryana in an otherwise insipid attack.