MAC-TNCA push Airlines into tight corner

Indian Airlines face an extremely difficult task on the morrow after closing out the second day of their MRF-Buchi Babu pre-quarterfinal at 23/1 in reply to MAC-TNCA's imposing 459/7 declared. India 'A' opener J Arun Kumar survived 51 minutes before being dismissed by legspinner Balaji Rao for 14 in what turned out to be the penultimate over of the day.

Play was suspended at 4.34 PM due to bad light and called off at 5.00 pm since the light had not improved. Manish Sharma and VVS Laxman held out until close but Airlines are still 436 runs adrift. If they do bat out the whole day tomorrow, it is unlikely they would have overhauled MAC-TNCA's first innings total.

In that eventuality the winner will be decided on run quotient (number of runs scored divided by number of wickets lost). MAC-TNCA's run quotient presently stands at 65.57. For Airlines the responsibility rests heavily on the shoulders of Laxman, Sharma, Ravneet Ricky and Vijay Dahiya.

In the morning play started 105 minutes behind schedule due to overnight rains having dampened the outfield. Indeed only 69 overs were bowled during the whole day. Resuming at 314/4 at the CPT-India Pistons ground here in Chennai, MAC-TNCA lost Sharath for 124 (191 balls, 16 fours, 1 six) when he edged Dodda Ganesh into the waiting gloves of wicketkeeper captain Dahiya.

The fifth wicket partnership between Sharath and Robin Singh had swelled to 89 when the mishap occurred. Robin merrily proceeded to 73 (127 balls, 6 fours), adding another 64 with Gokulakrishna before he fell to Haryana off spinner Ishan Ganda. Gokulakrishna, brother of yesterday's centurion Madanagopal finished on an unbeaten 46 as MAC- TNCA called it quits in the 139th over.

Incidentally there were another pair of brothers on the field - the two umpires K Srinivasan and K Bharathan. For Airlines Murali Kartik toiled long and hard to collect returns of 2/141 from 46 overs while Ganesh, Ganda and Chaudhury took a wicket apiece.