Sriram makes a meal of the Punjab attack

An invaluable unbeaten 155 (258 balls, 20 fours) by Sridharan Sriram took Tamil Nadu to the imposing position of 346/5 at the end of the second day of their Ranji Trophy quarter final against Punjab at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai today. Sriram's fifth century of the season also took his Ranji tally past the thousand mark this season in his seventh match. Resuming at 40/0, Tamil Nadu made 306 runs in the 90 overs bowled during the day.

After Sadagopan Ramesh had fallen to RP Singh in the third over of the day without adding to his overnight score of 18, Sriram and Hemang Badani added 150 for the second wicket to virtually shut out Punjab on the first innings. Badani was let off on 13, when he pulled Sandeep Sharma and the ensuing top edge went through the glove tips of a leaping wicket keeper Harminder Jugnu.

But the other more critical life was when Sriram, then on 38, dropped the ball down the wicket, set off, and was sent back by Badani. The bowler, Sodhi, in a remarkable display of athleticism, swooped down and underarmed the ball onto the stumps as the batsman dived back in, but umpire Ranade was not impressed. Badani made 70 from 147 balls before he guided off spinner Sharandeep Singh staight into the hands of captain Vikram Rathour at slip. His knock comprised of eleven hits to the fence, with his favourite stroke being the front foot drive on the rise through the covers.

But the most fascinating contest was between Harbhajan and Sriram. The Punjab offie crowded Sriram with two slips and a gully and tried to entice him to hit against the spin into the vacant area on the on side. Sriram played and missed the sweep shot more than once and he was also drawn towards one that turned and bounced outside off, which just went wide of second slip. He learnt his lesson and then preferred to get to the pitch of the ball aand smother the spin rather than wait for it. When Sriram went up to 99, the field was brought up, but he calmly drove Sodhi through the covers for a couple to bring up the landmark of f 163 balls and with 12 fours.

Sriram added another 55 for the third wicket with Madanagopal followed by a fourth wicket stand of 79 with his skipper S Sharath. The latter was caught at first slip by Rathour off Harbahajan for 30 after which he put on an unseemly show of dissent, gesturing his hand at the umpire in frustration. Aashish Kapoor was run out for 5 in going for a needlessly cheeky single late in the day. Nightwatchman T Kumaran was keeping Sharath company when stumps were drawn, as Tamil Nadu go into the third day leading by 88 on the first innings.