Tamil Nadu maul Punjab by an innings and 45 runs

Amritsar: Ravichandran Ashwin took three wickets on the final day as Tamil Nadu crushed Punjab by an innings and 45 runs in their Ranji Trophy Super League match to earn six points, including one bonus, here on Friday.

Pankaj Dharmani waged a losing battle by hitting the only half-century for the hosts in their second essay but the effort just managed to delay the inevitable.

Punjab needed an extraordinary display of batting to save the match, trailing by a huge 179-run margin at the start of the day with only five wickets in hand.

They added 134 runs on the last day and were bowled out for 248 at Gandhi Sports Complex Ground.

Dharmani, who resumed on his overnight score of 14, played aggressively in his 56-run knock that came off 88 balls with nine boundaries.

Suresh Kumar scalped the other overnight batsman Gaurav Gambhir (19) and Bharat Loomba (1) in quick succession and then Ashwin wrapped up the last three wickets.

The Punjab tail-enders batted well as Love Ablish (29) and Varun Khanna (30 not out) frustrated the Tamil Nadu bowlers.

Ashiwn trapped Dharmani and then bowled Ablish but the last-wicket pair of Khanna and S Ladda (15) delayed the Tamil Nadu celebrations by raising a 39-run stand.

Bureau Report