Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Tamil Nadu vs Baroda Final: TN won by 7 wickets.Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Tamil Nadu vs Baroda Highlights: Tamil Nadu beat Baroda in the final by 7 wickets to win the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy for the first time in 13 years. Chasing 121 to win, they overhauled the target in 18 overs with 7 wickets to spare.
Left-arm spinner M Siddharth (4/20) brilliant bowling upfront enabled Tamil Nadu to restrict Baroda to 120 for 9 on a difficult track in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. It was largely due to the 58-run seventh wicket stand between Vishnu Solanki (49 off 55 balls; 1×4; 2×6) and Atit Sheth (29 off 30 balls; 2×4;1×6) that Baroda after being reduced to 36/6 managed a three-figure total. Tamil Nadu were never under pressure in their chase and overhauled the target with 2 overs to spare.
Shahrukh Khan comes in at 5 following Karthik's wicket and he follows his captain's example in going for the big shots straightaway. Smashes his second boundary in the 18th over to bring the runs required down to single digits. Another six later in the 18th over to bring Tamil Nadu within one run. And the winning runs come from the same man's bat.
TN 123/3 after 18, win by 7 wickets and 2 overs to spare
Dinesh Karthik, looking to provide a strong finish while Aparajith plays the steadier hand at the other end, perishes in the process. Pulls a short ball but only mistimes it to midwicket. Gone for 22.
TN 101/3 after 16.1
Tamil Nadu look happy to be finishing the job off in singles. But Karthik and Aparajith are making sure to get runs off every ball now. Aparajith moves into his 20s, Karthik moves to double digits too.
TN 89/2 after 15
Nishanth is caught out just as Baba Aparajith gets his first boundary at the other end. Out for 38. That's the big wicket Baroda would have been wanting. Dinesh Karthik strides in at 4.
TN 69/2 after 12
Just the one boundary in the last 4 overs, but it is a six, smashed by Nishanth. Tamil Nadu are just about keeping up with the required run rate. Chances are hard to come by for Baroda. 1 caught and bowled opportunity off Nishanth goes abegging but it was a tough chance.
TN 61/1 after 10
Baba Aparajith comes in at 3 and joins Hari Nishanth, with Tamil Nadu not feeling any pressure from the required run rate. Nishanth the one taking on the bowlers more at this stage, Aparajith dealing only in singles.
TN 39/1 after 6
The Tamil Nadu chase gets off to a steady start. Hari Nishanth and N Jagadeesan see the first two overs out before trying to throw the long handle. Till, the first wicket falls in the 4th over. Jagadeesan goes for the pull against a rising delivery but finds midwicket.
TN 26/1 after 4
Tamil Nadu did well to contain the Baroda 120/8 in 20 overs with brilliant bowling led by Siddharth's 4/20. Calculative batting from Solanki, Seth & a cameo from Bhatt helped Baroda post a respectable total! From 36/6 to 120/9, that's a solid recovery by Baroda. How will TN chase this down? Stay tuned...
Vishnu Solanki is known for the Helicopter shot and he has brought the heli to the final as well. Full and in the slot, Solanki stands and whips it with a strong bottom hand grip and he's sent this into the mid-wicket stands.
Manimaran Siddharth, 4/20 in the final of SMAT 2021 is single-handedly helping his team dismiss Baroda for a cheap score n lift the trophy! Score after 12 overs, BRD- 51/6
Baroda are struggling at 36/6 after 9 overs in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final. All 9 overs have been of spin from Tamil Nadu.
And another one goes... Siddharth gets his 4th. Vishnu is the lone survivor till now. Kartik Kakade b Manimaran Siddharth 4(4)
Baroda: 36/6(8.5) | Baroda will look to reach 110-120 for a competitive total. Tamil Nadu needs to end on a high note.
WICKET!! Siddharth on a roll as he gets his 3rd wicket. The situation worsens for Baroda. Abhimanyu Rajput c&b Manimaran Siddharth 2(8) | Baroda: 32/5(8.1)
WICKET!! And this time it's a run-out. Nightmare continues for Baroda. Bhanu Pania run-out Dinesh Karthik 0(1) | Baroda: 28/4(6.2)
Tamil Nadu using the spinners quite efficiently. Bowling really tight lines.
WICKET! Lovely arm ball from Siddharth. 3rd wicket inside the powerplay. Smit Patel lbw Manimaran Siddharth 1(5) | Baroda: 28/3(5.5) | Vishnu Solanki 9(18)* Bhanu Pania 0(0)*
Big wicket for TN! They have dismissed the second-highest run-getter of the competition, their captain Kedar Devdhar. Manimaran Siddharth picks up the wicket.
Manimaran Siddharth, Left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack. Yet another spinner. With two right-handers at the crease, it's a god move to introduce another southpaw. Still no slip though.
Tamil Nadu have elected to bowl. They've been undefeated this whole tournament, and they want to chase in the final. Sai Kishore and baba Aparajith open the bowling for TN. The first wicket falls in the second over.
BRD 7/1 after 1.4
Tamil Nadu (Playing XI): Hari Nishanth, N Jagadeesan, Baba Aparajith, Arun Karthik, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Shahrukh Khan, Sonu Yadav, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, M Mohammed, Murugan Ashwin, Manimaran Siddharth
Baroda (Playing XI): Kedar Devdhar(c), Ninad Rathva, Vishnu Solanki, Karthik Kakade, Atit Sheth, Smit Patel(w), Abhimanyu Rajput, Bhanu Pania, Babashafi Pathan, Lukman Meriwala, Bhargav Bhatt
A formidable Tamil Nadu team with oodles of experience in its rank and file will have a head-start over an unheralded Baroda which shrugged off the off-field controversies to set up a promising grand finale of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament on Sunday.
The Tamil Nadu side with right blend of youth and experience under Dinesh Karthik, has hardly looked in any sort of trouble since their group stage encounters with dominating victories while chasing.
Baroda, under their battle-hardened stand-in captain Kedar Devdhar, had won some one-sided matches but also a cliff-hanger against Haryana in the quarter-final where Vishnu Solanki hit a last-ball helicopter shot to win the match.