Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Four half-centuries propel Tamil Nadu to 281/7 against Odisha on Day 1
Fifties from Pradosh Ranjan Paul (78, 100b, 12×4), Andre Siddarth (56, 98b, 7×4, 1×6), debutant Nidhish Rajagopal (54 n.o., 71b, 8×4), and opener S.R. Athish (50, 126b, 4×4, 1×6) helped Tamil Nadu reach 281 for seven on day one of its Elite Group-A sixth-round Ranji Trophy match against Odisha at the KIIT Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday.
A greenish surface, heavy with promise, justified Odisha’s call to bowl and left the Tamil Nadu batters feeling their way through a morning that rarely allowed certainty. Appeals rose and lingered, inside-edges ran fine, and an edge fell short of slip.
It was not a morning for statements, but for small negotiations—between bat and ball, instinct and restraint.
For all the unease, there were fleeting moments of release: Athish off-drove pacer Rajesh Mohanty with authority, N. Jagadeesan cut pacer Debabrata Pradhan before his early exit, and P. Vidyuth found the fence twice against Mohanty with a cut and a cover-drive.
There was a flash of the imperious, too. Athish pulled Mohanty’s first chest-high bouncer for a six to square-leg, only to duck the next, the bowler’s glare hinting at a battle still unresolved.
But it was Pradosh, in after Vidyuth edged Mohanty to second slip, who truly belonged. Amid the uncertainty that defined the morning, Pradosh offered a rare sense of alignment.
He began with restraint, letting deliveries pass that invited flirtation in the corridor, a quiet assertion that he would engage on his terms. When he did score, it was without fuss. Beyond the on-drive, cut, pull, and flick that fetched boundaries, the standout was his signature backfoot cover-drive, produced once apiece off spinner Govinda Poddar and Mohanty. With a century seemingly there for the taking, he fell against the run of play, caught at cover off pacer Sambit Baral.
In fact, it was emblematic of the broader pattern of the day, with set batters failing to kick on for big scores.
THE SCORES
Tamil Nadu — 1st innings: S.R. Athish c Dhuper b Debabrata 50, N. Jagadeesan b Mohanty 7, P. Vidyuth c Shantanu b Mohanty 12, Pradosh Ranjan Paul c Prasant b Baral 78, Andre Siddarth c Roul b Poddar 56, G. Ajitesh st Dhuper b Samantaray 0, Nidhish Rajagopal (not out) 54, Sonu Yadav c Samantaray b Poddar 8, Sai Kishore (not out) 12; Extras (lb-3, nb-1): 4; Total (for 7 wkts in 83 overs): 281.
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-46, 3-111, 4-182, 5-183, 6-234, 7-252.
Odisha bowling: Mohanty 17-6-50-2, Debabrata 17-2-37-1, Baral 13-2-35-1, Poddar 16-0-85-2, Samantaray 11-0-29-1, Badal 9-2-42-0.
Published on Jan 22, 2026
