Madhava Prasad and Athish centuries lift Tamil Nadu U-23 to 368/1 at Chennai
On Friday at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Tamil Nadu under-23 openers K.T.A. Madhava Prasad and S.R. Athish both scored centuries as Tamil Nadu u-23 reached 368 for one, holding a 189-run lead over Rest of India u-23 on the second day.
Madhava Prasad finished on 150 not out off 302 balls with 20 fours, while Athish made 137 off 203 balls with 19 fours and three sixes, and the pair compiled a 250-run opening partnership under a sun that was beating down at the ground. Rest of India u-23 bowlers tried different tactics but failed to make inroads for nearly five hours, allowing the home side to dominate the day. The stand and the conditions left Tamil Nadu comfortably placed at the close of play.
Madhava Prasad often played second fiddle in the partnership, advancing to the pitch against spin and using his feet to good effect; one such advance helped him reach his century. He reached triple figures by reverse-sweeping left-arm tweaker Emanjot Singh Chahal for a boundary to join Athish in the century club. The technique and timing of those strokes underpinned his accumulation to 150 not out.
Athish benefited from two reprieves while approaching his hundred, being dropped by Angkrish Raghuvanshi at mid-on on 81 and again on 96. He completed his century with a double over fine-leg off the last ball of the first session, reaching 137 before his dismissal later in the day. Those chances contributed to the length and scale of the opening stand.
Emanjot Singh Chahal eventually ended the partnership, having Athish caught at backward short-leg. After that breakthrough, Madhava Prasad and Kiran Karthikeyan (56 off 98 balls, eight fours) remained unbeaten as the day concluded. It was a productive day for the home batting unit, with two centurions and a supporting half-century still at the crease.
The match scores read: Rest of India u-23 179; Tamil Nadu u-23 368/1 in 100 overs (S.R. Athish 137, K.T.A. Madhava Prasad 150 batting, Kiran Karthikeyan 56 batting). When the second day's play ended, Tamil Nadu held a 189-run advantage.
