Tons for Madanagopal, Sharath as MAC-TNCA takes command

Contrasting centuries from JR Madanagopal and Sridharan Sharath helped MAC - TNCA to a commanding 314/4 on the first day of their MRF-Buchi Babu pre-quarterfinal game with Indian Airlines at the CPT-India Pistons Ground at Chennai today.

Madanagopal's 108 which encompassed five and a quarter hours, was persevering but Sharath's unbeaten 111 was the more enterprising. The Airlines attack included two Test bowlers, Dodda Ganesh and Murali Karthik, the latter picking up two of the three wickets that fell to the bowlers. Javagal Srinath who turned out for Airlines in the just concluded Coromandel Cement Trophy in Bangalore was not among the eleven.

MAC-TNCA won the toss and elected to take first strike, opening with S Suresh and George John, in the absence of Sadagopan Ramesh who is in Australia. Suresh was the first to go for 12, failing to beat S Chaudhary's throwing arm in Ganesh's fourth over. John and Madanagopal added 75 for the second wicket before Kartik ended the former's sojourn at the middle by beating and bowling him for 29.

Elegant lefthander C Hemanth Kumar who struck two hundreds in the TNCA first division league last month failed to come good on this occasion, hitting Chaudhury into the hands of Shafiq Khan for 20. Sharath joined Madanagopal with the score at 151. Both centurions compiled a century partnership for the fourth wicket, 112 to be precise, before Kartik trapped Madanagopal in front in the 83rd over for 108 (245 balls, 12 fours, 2 sixes).

Robin Singh, Tamil Nadu captain, now gave company to his state deputy Sharath and both lefthanders played out the remaining twelve overs without fuss. Sharath had essayed 16 fours and a six in his 146 ball knock. Indeed a third century was scored during the day, this one in the runs column of left arm spinner Kartik who toiled for 33 overs to concede exactly 100 runs. Aware that the gluttonous VVS Laxman lurks in the opposition ranks, MAC-TNCA will be keen to build a higher superstructure tomorrow.