Depleted Tamil Nadu eyes a positive finish to a nightmarish season

Tamil Nadu has endured one of its most forgettable seasons in recent memory. The southern side failed to get past the first round in all three formats.

There was frequent chopping and changing of players, and the association even experimented by having different coaches for red- and white-ball cricket, but to no avail.

In a season marked by disappointment, TN finally got something right in its penultimate Ranji Trophy Elite Group-A game, beating Odisha by 207 runs to record its first win in the premier domestic competition. Now, as it looks to end a nightmarish run, R. Sai Kishore’s men will aim to build on that momentum and finish on a positive note in the final league match against Baroda at the Salem Cricket Foundation ground, starting Thursday.

With TN having been knocked out even before the start of the Ranji Trophy second phase, the selectors brought in a few fresh faces for the final two outings.

Fresh faces

In the previous tie, S.R. Athish struck twin half-centuries, while debutant Nidhish S. Rajagopal notched up a half-ton and scalped two wickets.

For this encounter, TN will miss the services of N. Jagadeesan and left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh, who have been picked for India ‘A’. R. Vimal Khumar and T.D. Lokesh Raj has been named as replacements with Athish expected to don the keeping gloves.

Like TN, Baroda’s campaign has been underwhelming, with the side sitting just one place higher — fifth — than the hosts in the table. Krunal Pandya, who steered the team to an innings victory over Nagaland last week, is unavailable for this match, and all-rounder Atit Seth will lead in his absence.

Though there is not much to play for, both teams will see this as an opportunity to lay the foundation for the future.