Opener M Vijay scored a superb unbeaten 97 (266 balls, 9x4, 1x6) as Tamil Nadu posted 260 for four at close on the opening day of their four-day Super League Group-A Ranji Trophy match against Andhra in Chennai on Friday.

Vijay put on 146 runs for the second wicket with captain S Badrinath to help the hosts recover from the early loss of S Vidyuth after being put into bat.

Vidyuth was caught by Kalyanakrishna off his own bowling for 13.

Vijay and Badrinath then resisted the Andhra attack of medium pace at one end and spin at the other end.

Badrinath was caught by wicket-keeper M S K Prasad when he nicked an outgoing delivery of medium pacer R V C H Prasad. Badrinath's 69 contained two huge sixes and five boundaries.

Vijay was then joined by Test discard Hemang Badani. The two put on 46 runs for the third wicket in 15.3 overs. Badani was adjudged leg before to off spinner Mohd Faiq when he was on 31 (four fours).

The next batsman R Satish was run out. Satish drove Venugopal Rao to the covers but a good piece of fielding by Mohd. Faiq saw the Tamil Nadu batsman's end.

At close, Vijay and veteran southpaw S Sharath (9) were at the crease.

Scorecard

Tamil Nadu (1st innings):
M Vijay not out 97
S Vidyut c & b Kalyankrishna 13
S Badrinath c MSK Prasad b RVC Prasad 69
H Badani lbw b Faiq 31
R Sathish run out (Faiq) 17
S Sharath not out 9
Extras: (b 3, w 2, nb 19) 24     
Total: (4 wickets; 90 overs) 260     

To bat: V Mahesh, R Naresh, R Jesuraj, A Kapoor, Varun Kumar.

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-169, 3-215, 4-246.

Bowling: K Sahabuddin 17-4-40-0, D Kalyankrishna 16-3-46-1, V Reddy 11-1-43-0, RVC Prasad 7-0-39-1, M Faiq 26-4-61-1, Venugopal Rao 13-1-28-0.