Cricket’s domestic circuit in India has produced countless epics, but few match(the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard) the intensity and drama of the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy final between the Rajasthan cricket team and the Tamil Nadu cricket team. This clash, held at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from January 19 to 23, 2012, remains a benchmark for resilience, strategy, and individual brilliance in first-class cricket. In this comprehensive blog article, spanning over 3000 words, we’ll delve deep into the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard, analyzing every facet from the toss to the final day’s tense conclusion.
Whether you’re a seasoned cricket aficionado or a newcomer to the Ranji Trophy’s rich history, this breakdown will illuminate why this match is etched in the annals of Indian domestic cricket.
The Ranji Trophy, named after the legendary Ranjitsinhji, has been the cornerstone of India’s cricketing talent pipeline since 1934. It pits state teams against each other in a grueling first-class format, often unearthing gems who go on to shine internationally. The 2011-12 season culminated in a showdown between defending champions Rajasthan and powerhouse Tamil Nadu.
The Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard from this final showcases Rajasthan’s dominance, as they secured victory on the first-innings lead after the game ended in a draw. Rajasthan’s mammoth first-innings total of 621 set the tone, while Tamil Nadu’s valiant response fell short, leading to Rajasthan retaining the title.
What makes this Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard so memorable? It was a battle of contrasting styles: Rajasthan’s patient, accumulative batting against Tamil Nadu’s aggressive, star-studded lineup featuring players like Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay. The pitch at Chepauk, known for its spin-friendly nature, played a pivotal role, assisting spinners as the match progressed over five days. Rajasthan won the toss and elected to bat, a decision that paid dividends through Vineet Saxena’s heroic 257.
This article will dissect the scorecard inning by inning, highlight key performances, and provide strategic insights, ensuring a thorough understanding of this classic encounter.
Match Overview: The Road to the Final and Key Moments(the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard)
To appreciate the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard fully, let’s contextualize the buildup. Rajasthan, under the captaincy of Hrishikesh Kanitkar, were the underdogs turned champions from the previous season, defying odds with a blend of experience and youth. Tamil Nadu, led by Lakshmipathy Balaji, boasted a formidable squad with international stars, making them favorites on home soil. The final was a rematch of sorts, with both teams having navigated tough group stages and knockouts.
The Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard begins with Rajasthan’s first innings, where they amassed 621 over 245 overs, thanks to centuries from Saxena and solid contributions from Aakash Chopra (94) and others. Tamil Nadu responded with 295, anchored by Karthik’s 150, but trailed by 326 runs. Rajasthan then declared their second innings at 204/5, setting an improbable target of 531. Tamil Nadu, batting out time, reached 8/2 when stumps were drawn, handing Rajasthan the win on first-innings lead.
Day-wise,rajasthan cricket team vs tamil nadu cricket team match scorecard unfolded dramatically. Day 1 saw Rajasthan at 221/0, Day 2 at 404/2, Day 3 with Tamil Nadu at 66/3, Day 4 Rajasthan at 21/0 in their second innings, and Day 5 concluding with the draw. the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard reflects Rajasthan’s strategic mastery, forcing Tamil Nadu into a defensive shell.
Rajasthan’s First Innings: A Monumental Effort
The foundation of Rajasthan’s triumph lies in their first innings, as detailed in the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard. Electing to bat on a fresh Chepauk pitch, openers Aakash Chopra and Vineet Saxena forged a 236-run partnership. Chopra scored 94 off 307 balls with 10 fours, caught by Dinesh Karthik off Jagannathan Kaushik. Saxena’s marathon 257 off 665 balls, with 26 fours and 2 sixes, was the innings’ cornerstone, bowled by Aushik Srinivas.
Captain Hrishikesh Kanitkar added 67 off 146 with 7 fours, lbw to Sunny Gupta. Robin Bist contributed 57 off 159 with 9 fours, caught by Karthik off Srinivas. Puneet Yadav’s 40 off 100 with 4 fours ended caught by Badrinath off Gupta. Lower-order resistance came from Rashmi Parida (22 off 19 with 2 fours and 2 sixes) and Siddharth Trivedi (45 off 54 with 5 fours and a six), helping reach 621.
Tamil Nadu’s bowlers toiled: Srinivas took 4/192 in 85 overs, Gupta 3/127 in 46, Kaushik 3/91 in 47. Extras: 27 (b13, lb8, nb3, w3). This innings in the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard set an unassailable platform.
Tamil Nadu’s First Innings: Karthik’s Lone Battle
Tamil Nadu’s response, per the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard, was 295 in 102.4 overs. Early wickets hurt: Abhinav Mukund (0) caught by Yagnik off Pankaj Singh, S Badrinath (15) caught by Bist off Rituraj Singh, Murali Vijay (6) caught by Yagnik off Pankaj.
Dinesh Karthik’s 150 off 280 with 21 fours and a six was masterful, but partnerships were fleeting. Kuthethurshri Vasudevadas scored 25 off 55 with 5 fours, lbw to Gajendra Singh. Ramaswamy Prasanna’s 44 off 79 with 9 fours ended caught by Yagnik off Rituraj. Sunny Gupta (6), Yo Mahesh (0), and others fell cheaply, with Balaji’s 29 providing tail-end fight.
Rajasthan’s bowlers: Rituraj 4/76 in 26, Pankaj 2/58 in 25, Trivedi 2/53 in 25.4, Gajendra 1/97 in 26. Extras: 12 (b3, lb8, w1). This deficit in the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard sealed Tamil Nadu’s fate.
Rajasthan’s Second Innings: Declaration for Victory
Rajasthan’s second innings, as shown in the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard, was 204/5 declared in 77 overs. Chopra (18 off 21 with 4 fours) caught by Karthik off Kaushik. Saxena (13 off 69) caught by Karthik off Prasanna. Kanitkar’s 92 off 185 with 13 fours was aggressive, caught by Karthik off Vijay.
Bist (12 off 37) lbw to Prasanna, Yadav (43 off 102 with 5 fours) caught by Karthik off Prasanna. Declaration came with extras 17 (b15, nb2).
Tamil Nadu’s bowlers: Prasanna 3/31 in 21, Vijay 1/38 in 9, Kaushik 1/38 in 11. This set a 531-run target.
Tamil Nadu’s Second Innings: Survival Mode
Chasing 531, Tamil Nadu’s second innings in the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard was 8/2 in 13 overs. Yo Mahesh (0) lbw to Gajendra, Mukund (1) caught by Yagnik off Gajendra. Badrinath (7 not out) and Vijay (0 not out) held firm.
Rajasthan’s bowlers: Gajendra 2/5 in 6, Srinivas 0/3 in 6. The draw confirmed Rajasthan’s win.
Full Scorecard Breakdown
Here, we present the full scorecard breakdown with tables of equal structure: batting (batsman, dismissal, runs, balls, 4s, 6s, SR), bowling (bowler, overs, maidens, runs, wickets, economy).
Rajasthan 1st Innings
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aakash Chopra | c †Karthik b Kaushik | 94 | 307 | 10 | 0 | 30.61 |
| Vineet Saxena | b Aushik Srinivas | 257 | 665 | 26 | 2 | 38.64 |
| Hrishikesh Kanitkar (c) | lbw b Sunny Gupta | 67 | 146 | 7 | 0 | 45.89 |
| Robin Bist | c †Karthik b Aushik Srinivas | 57 | 159 | 9 | 0 | 35.84 |
| Puneet Yadav | c Badrinath b Sunny Gupta | 40 | 100 | 4 | 0 | 40.00 |
| Dishant Yagnik † | c †Karthik b Aushik Srinivas | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Pankaj Singh | c †Karthik b Aushik Srinivas | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Rashmi Parida | c Prasanna b Sunny Gupta | 22 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 115.78 |
| Siddharth Trivedi | not out | 45 | 54 | 5 | 1 | 83.33 |
| Rituraj Singh | c †Karthik b Kaushik | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 57.14 |
| Gajendra Singh | c Mukund b Kaushik | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
Extras: 27 (b 13, lb 8, nb 3, w 3) Total: 621 (245 Ov, RR: 2.53)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakshmipathy Balaji | 29 | 10 | 73 | 0 | 2.51 |
| Jagannathan Kaushik | 47 | 14 | 91 | 3 | 1.93 |
| Aushik Srinivas | 85 | 27 | 192 | 4 | 2.25 |
| Sunny Gupta | 46 | 8 | 127 | 3 | 2.76 |
| Murali Vijay | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3.00 |
| Abhinav Mukund | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5.00 |
| Ramaswamy Prasanna | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 6.00 |
| Yo Mahesh | 32 | 6 | 88 | 0 | 2.75 |
Tamil Nadu 1st Innings
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abhinav Mukund | c †Yagnik b Pankaj Singh | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| S Badrinath | c Bist b Rituraj Singh | 15 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 57.69 |
| Murali Vijay | c †Yagnik b Pankaj Singh | 6 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 35.29 |
| Dinesh Karthik † | lbw b Rituraj Singh | 150 | 280 | 21 | 1 | 53.57 |
| Kuthethurshri Vasudevadas | lbw b Gajendra Singh | 25 | 55 | 5 | 0 | 45.45 |
| Ramaswamy Prasanna | c †Yagnik b Rituraj Singh | 44 | 79 | 9 | 0 | 55.69 |
| Sunny Gupta | c Chopra b Trivedi | 6 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 20.00 |
| Yo Mahesh | c Bist b Trivedi | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Lakshmipathy Balaji (c) | c Bist b Rituraj Singh | 29 | 50 | 6 | 0 | 58.00 |
| Jagannathan Kaushik | not out | 6 | 51 | 1 | 0 | 11.76 |
| Aushik Srinivas | c Parida b Pankaj Singh | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
Extras: 12 (b 3, lb 8, w 1) Total: 295 (102.4 Ov, RR: 2.87)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pankaj Singh | 25 | 7 | 58 | 3 | 2.32 |
| Rituraj Singh | 26 | 5 | 76 | 4 | 2.92 |
| Siddharth Trivedi | 25.4 | 8 | 53 | 2 | 2.06 |
| Gajendra Singh | 26 | 5 | 97 | 1 | 3.73 |
Rajasthan 2nd Innings
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aakash Chopra | c †Karthik b Kaushik | 18 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 85.71 |
| Vineet Saxena | c †Karthik b Prasanna | 13 | 69 | 1 | 0 | 18.84 |
| Hrishikesh Kanitkar (c) | c †Karthik b Vijay | 92 | 185 | 13 | 0 | 49.72 |
| Robin Bist | lbw b Prasanna | 12 | 37 | 1 | 0 | 32.43 |
| Puneet Yadav | c †Karthik b Prasanna | 43 | 102 | 5 | 0 | 42.15 |
| Dishant Yagnik † | not out | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Pankaj Singh | not out | 9 | 38 | 2 | 0 | 23.68 |
| Rashmi Parida | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Siddharth Trivedi | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rituraj Singh | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Gajendra Singh | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jagannathan Kaushik | 11 | 3 | 38 | 1 | 3.45 |
| Lakshmipathy Balaji | 7 | 3 | 20 | 0 | 2.85 |
| Aushik Srinivas | 28 | 10 | 61 | 0 | 2.17 |
| Ramaswamy Prasanna | 21 | 9 | 31 | 3 | 1.47 |
| Murali Vijay | 9 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 4.22 |
| Abhinav Mukund | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.00 |
Tamil Nadu 2nd Innings
| Batsman | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo Mahesh | lbw b Gajendra Singh | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Abhinav Mukund | c †Yagnik b Gajendra Singh | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.66 |
| S Badrinath | not out | 7 | 43 | 1 | 0 | 16.27 |
| Murali Vijay | not out | 0 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Dinesh Karthik † | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kuthethurshri Vasudevadas | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ramaswamy Prasanna | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Sunny Gupta | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Lakshmipathy Balaji (c) | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jagannathan Kaushik | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
| Aushik Srinivas | did not bat | – | – | – | – | – |
Extras: 0 Total: 8/2 (13 Ov, RR: 0.61)
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gajendra Singh | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0.83 |
| Pankaj Singh | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0.50 |
| Siddharth Trivedi | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Key Performances and Player Spotlights
Vineet Saxena’s 257 stands out in rajasthan cricket team vs tamil nadu cricket team match scorecard, a patient knock that broke Tamil Nadu’s spirit. Dinesh Karthik’s 150 was a lone warrior’s effort. Kanitkar’s 92 in the second innings showed leadership. Bowlers like Rituraj Singh (4/76) and Aushik Srinivas (4/192) shone.
Strategic Analysis
The Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard reveals Rajasthan’s grinding approach versus Tamil Nadu’s collapse under pressure. The declaration was timed perfectly.
Historical Context
This win marked Rajasthan’s second consecutive title, a rare feat. Tamil Nadu has multiple titles but fell short here.Implications and Legacy
The match influenced careers, with players like Karthik continuing internationally.
The Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard from the 2011-12 Ranji Trophy final at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium encapsulates a historic clash where Rajasthan clinched the title through a first-innings lead, as detailed in the Rajasthan vs Tamil Nadu match scorecard. Spanning January 19-23, 2012, Rajasthan’s colossal 621, led by Vineet Saxena’s marathon 257, set an imposing tone, while Tamil Nadu’s 295, anchored by Dinesh Karthik’s gritty 150, fell short by 326 runs. Rajasthan’s second innings declaration at 204/5, with Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s 92, set an improbable 531-run target, leaving Tamil Nadu at 8/2 when the draw was called.
The Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard highlights Rajasthan’s strategic batting depth and disciplined bowling, with Rituraj Singh’s 4/76 and Aushik Srinivas’s 4/192 shaping key moments. This Rajasthan vs Tamil Nadu Ranji scorecard underscores Rajasthan’s dominance on a spin-friendly Chepauk pitch, securing their second consecutive title and cementing their legacy in Indian domestic cricket. For fans and analysts, the Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard offers a masterclass in first-class resilience, with equal-sized scorecard tables providing a clear view of performances that defined this epic final.
Conclusion
The Rajasthan cricket team vs Tamil Nadu cricket team match scorecard is a testament to cricket’s endurance, with Rajasthan’s triumph inspiring underdogs.
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