TNPL 2016 | Ashwin returns as Dindigul Dragons beat Ruby Kanchi Warriors

Earlier, Ruby Kanchi Warriors won the toss and elected to bowl. GS Raju and N Jagadeesan got Dindigul Dragons off to a solid start with a 63-run opening partnership of 55 balls. The pair found their range and scored runs all over the park. The duo hit three sixes and seven boundaries. Prathiban broke the partnership as Shah Rukh Khan took a diving catch to get rid of Raju. Two more wickets fell before skipper R Ashwin and vice-captain Subramania Siva stitched together a useful partnership for the side. Chants of ‘Ashwin, Ashwin’ echoed through the stadium as he came out to bat and fireworks went off as he made his grand entrance for his first match in the tournament. The pair scored 33 runs of 22 balls. Ruby Kanchi Warriors were very sharp in the field and took their opportunities. Despite picking up wickets at regular intervals, Dindigul Dragons managed to post a competitive 159 for seven. Their innings consisted of nine sixes and seven boundaries in all.

In a run-chase that failed to click from the start, Ruby Kanchi Warriors were put on the back-foot as they lost Nilesh Subramanian with only nine on the board. They lost five more wickets with just 48 on board. R Ashwin, M Ashwin, Guru Kedarnath MS Sanjay and GS Raju spun a deadly web with their variations and choked Warriors for runs on a wicket which assisted spin. Ashwin manned his resources shrewdly, constantly ringing in the changes and never allowed the batsmen to settle down. Dindigul Dragons used seven bowlers and successfully stemmed the run-flow. Ruby Kanchi Warrior’s lower order offered resistance as Aditya Ganesh and Prathiban put on a partnership of 35.