R. Sonu Yadav and Zubair Ali Khan — the protagonists of Tamil Nadu and Railways on day one of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group D fixture — laid bare the action that unfolded at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on Monday.
While the medium-pacer gave the host early impetus with three wickets, the No. 8 batter turned things around with a swashbuckling 75.
On the impact of Zubair’s 61-run last-wicket stand with Himanshu Sangwan, Sonu said: “It would have been even better if we had wrapped it up quickly. It’s always challenging when a tail-ender and a batter form that kind of rhythm because they manage the strike cleverly.”
Zubair, who looked assured in defence and ruthless in attack, showcased skills beyond a No. 8. “Given how wickets fell at the start, we hoped to score 150. From there, I found opportunities to add more.”
And Zubair was dropped by Gurjapneet Singh off R. Sai Kishore at 144 for nine.
“You feel much freer when luck plays a part as a batter. Getting those extra runs is significant. Tomorrow [Tuesday], the pitch will offer more turn, and hitting the right spots will make scoring every run difficult. This is definitely a fighting total,” Zubair explained.
Sonu, who made the ball talk under cloudy skies, also expects spinners to play a bigger role. “The wicket was a bit damp, which is why we chose to bowl. There was assistance for me in the morning, but the pitch will suit the spinners more as the match progresses”.
Published on Oct 26, 2026
