TN on course of claiming vital first innings lead

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu were on course of claiming a vital first innings lead as Rajasthan were still adrift of 92 runs and three wickets in hand at close on the second day of their four-day Under-19 cricket final match for the Cooch Behar Trophy on Saturday.
The hosts had made 227 in 109.5 overs. In reply, Rajasthan were 135 for 7. With off-spinner Gaurav Khatri (5/35) and leg spinner Harminder Singh (4/41) sharing the wickets, Rajasthan were able to restrict Tamil Nadu, who were 154 for six overnight.
V Ganda Sridhar Raju (32), R Rohith 28, P K Dharma (36), R D Ashwin Kumar (53; 5X4) and S Vivek Athinam (25) were the main scorers for Tamil Nadu.
Dharma and Ashwin Kumar featured in a 96-run partnership of 41.2 overs for the seventh wicket.
Later, the last pair of Vignesh Mohan (14) and Vivek Athinam chipped in with 41 runs in 15 overs.
In Rajasthan's innings, it was the turn of Tamil Nadu leg spinner Sharavan Krishnan (4/73) and medium pacer Ashwin Kumar (2 for 20), to trouble the batsmen.
However, Rajasthan's opener Ankit Lamba (36, 95b, 4X4), Puneet Sharma (30, 3X4) and Azeeem Akthar (batting 39, 121b, 3X4, 1X6) played well.