Badrinath century lays a solid platform

A patient and polished century from S Badrinath ensured that Tamil Nadu did not suffer the fate of some other teams on the first day of the opening round of Ranji Trophy matches. After choosing to bat, they ended the day on 184 for 3, a healthy score on a slow pitch that might just be a tough one to bat on last.

The day began well for Delhi. Ashish Nehra, feeling his way back from injury, played his first Ranji Trophy game at the Feroz Shah Kotla, his home ground, in six years, and bowled well with the new ball. But it was immediately obvious that Tamil Nadu's last-minute decision to play the extra spinner in C Suresh in place of D Tamil Kumaran, the medium-pacer, would pay off.

The going was tough for M Vijay, making Ranji debut, and S Vidyut. Ishant Sharma, the tall young Delhi fast bowler, struck an early blow, trapping Vidyut in front of the stumps in the fourth over. At 2 for 1 Tamil Nadu had gotten out off to a terrible start, and Hemang Badani was in the middle much earlier than he would have liked. He toiled with the industrious Vijay, and spent 40 minutes at the crease for 5 runs. Just as Nehra was flagging, having done all the hard work, Badani felt for one outside off and tickled an edge to the wicketkeeper. In the 13th over, the score was only 11 and Tamil Nadu had lost two wickets, including the vital one of Badani.

Given the history of the Feroz Shah Kotla, where the ball inevitably does a bit in the first hour, it should have been Tamil Nadu's aim to merely see the new ball off and then settle down for a long stint out in the middle. That the first boundary came as late as the 20th over, when Badrinath picked off Chaitanya Nanda's legspin, indicated how difficult it was to bat.

But Badrinath, who has been in a rich vein of form, and Vijay, having got over his early nerves, realised that there was little point playing on the back foot on a pitch that showed signs of low bounce as soon as the ball got a bit soft, and began to build a partnership. Although the runs did not flow freely at any stage in the day, Tamil Nadu were able to take control of the game.

Nehra bowled a long first spell - 12 overs on the trot for 27 runs - and should have had a second wicket when Badri, on 17, slashed one to gully, only for Rajat Bhatia to drop a catch he would have taken nine times out of ten. It proved a costly drop as Badrinath and Vijay put on 127 for the third wicket. When Delhi finally broke the partnership, it was against the run of play, and much needed.

Delhi had used Bhatia in a containing capacity and he's capable of sticking to one line and toiling away, despite not quite having the pace to force batsmen out. And it was his perseverance, sticking to an off-side line that paid off. Vijay, who had spent 17 minutes less than five hours at the crease for 59, shouldered arms to one on the stumps and was out lbw.

Fortunately for Tamil Nadu, Badrinath was nonplussed by the change of partners, and began to show his full range of strokes with R Sathish for company. He was superb when there was any width and drove superbly through the off side. When the bowler overcompensated and was too straight he efficiently whipped the ball off his pads through the leg side. He played the one big shot of the day, a clean hit off Sanghvi straight back over his head that thudded into the sightscreen next to the players' dressing-rooms.

When play was called off at 4.45pm because of bad light, Badrinath was on an even 100. Tamil Nadu would have liked to have had more than 184 on the board but given that they were 11 for 2, on a wicket where batsmen could not trust the bounce to commit early, they will be well pleased with their solid start. It remains to be seen if they can sustain it on the second day.

S Vidyut lbw b Sharma 2 (1 for 2)
Missed one on the stumps

Hemang Badani c Dahiya b Nehra 5 (11 for 2)
Tickled a ball from outside off to the keeper

M Vijay lbw b Bhatia 59 (138 for 3)
Shouldered arms to a straight one