Gurjapneet Singh rocked the Nagaland batting line-up with a hat-trick.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
After a riveting day’s play, one side piled up 512 for three before declaring, while the other stumbled to four down in a blink — three of them falling in a stunning hat-trick. Amid the frenzy, three men stood out: one struck a career-best 201 not out, another entered the record books with a hat-trick, and the third — Nagaland opener D. Nischal (80 not out) — who battled hard to drag his side to stumps without too much damage.
In an exclusive chat with The Hindu, Tamil Nadu’s Pradosh Ranjan Paul and Gurjapneet Singh, along with Nagaland’s Nischal, reflected on a day that had it all. “I’m grateful I could contribute to the team in this game,” said Pradosh.
“I’ve made a few technical adjustments, working with TJ sir (Tanveer Jabbar). Senthilnathan sir has guided me since the Buchi Babu tournament, as has Robin Singh sir. I’m really grateful to have all three around,” added Pradosh.
“It’s great to get a hat-trick and deliver for my team,” said Gurjapneet. “On a flat wicket, you need to bowl in the right channel — not too short, not too full. After two in two balls, I focused on maintaining the same length, and it clicked.”
Meanwhile, Nagaland batter Nischal said, “It was a tough situation. Gurjapneet was on top, and we had to fight for every run. We set small targets, and luckily, it went our way.”
“The coach’s message was clear: fight for every run and stay mentally strong.
“ I focus on playing one ball at a time, and hopefully, I can carry this forward tomorrow,” he added.
Published – October 26, 2025 11:55 pm IST
