In a competitive tournament like the Ranji Trophy, the key to a successful run is to maximise the home advantage. It is what Tamil Nadu will aim to do as it returns to the familiar confines of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium to take on Uttarakhand in the second round of the Ranji Trophy (Elite Group-D) clash, starting here on Sunday.

TN last played at Chepauk in 2024 against Karnataka, and the two sides dished out a humdinger that went down to the wire on the last day. Chasing 355, the home team came within 17 runs of overhauling the target in the fourth innings before the contest ended in a stalemate. The host needs to take inspiration from that encounter and deliver an improved performance.

The team’s season got off to a bad start in Jaipur, where a poor batting effort on the third morning cost it the first-innings lead, forcing it to settle for a solitary point. After restricting Rajasthan to 363, R. Sai Kishore’s men squandered a solid platform, slumping from 203 for four to 274 all out. While three frontline batters made half-centuries, none of them converted their starts into a big one, and this is something that needs to be addressed.

A couple of changes are bound to follow after B. Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar left for India-A duties. R. Vimal Khumar might slot in as an opening partner to N. Jagadeesan, while S. Ajith Ram could also get a look-in, considering the red-soil surface will assist the tweakers as the game progresses.

Uttarakhand, in contrast, enters this game brimming with confidence after taking the first-innings lead over Railways in the previous encounter. The northern team, which made the semifinals last year, has a well-rounded squad with enough variety in its bowling attack to make this an even contest.