The Sehwag and Gambhir of Tamil Nadu

There is no doubt as to who is currently the best opening combination in Ranji Trophy. In a way M Vijay and Abhinav Mukund have been to Tamil Nadu what Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have been to India. They are a right-hand-left-hand combination who score fast and run well between the wickets. They have the numbers to prove their success as a combination: the ongoing semi-final is their eighth match as an opening pair and they already have four 100-run partnerships (including 256 the first time they came together and 462 in the first match this season), and an 84-run stand in a potentially tricky chase of 227 in the quarter-final this season.

Last season, when they batted together for the first time, they were the fourth different combination in four different matches. Tamil Nadu's poor run of form until then could be attributed to the failure of their batsmen.

"If a side has to do well in the Ranji Trophy, it has to put runs on the board," WV Raman, their coach, said. "Whenever the runs have been put on the board, we have been thereabouts - if not titles, at least semis or finals. That's what has been harped on in the last two or three years." It's no coincidence that Tamil Nadu have succeeded when Vijay and Abhinav have. Their 168-run partnership has put them in with a good chance to play the final this year.

Dinesh Karthik can't thank the two enough. "I think they are the best openers in the country, as a pair they are the best opening partnership, and whenever we have required they have given us big partnerships," Karthik said. "This eases off the pressure on the middle order."

Abhinav - called "baby" by his team-mates - turns 19 on Tuesday and, for the second year running, Raman will be there with him on the day. "I was there with him last year, too, on the Under-19 tour to South Africa." It was an eventful year for Abhinav, who went with the team to Malaysia for the U-19 World Cup but saw India win it from the bench. He came back to churn out a phenomenal domestic season.

A fluent left-hand batsman through the off side who gets cramped when bowled to on his pads, Abhinav tended to either score really big or get out early. The same has been the case with his partnerships with Vijay: 256 was followed by 5 and 17, including ducks for both players; 127 was followed by 19. Abhinav said it was a good sign he scored big when he got in, just as with their partnerships.

Ask him of the 462-run partnership, which included a triple-century from him, and he grins. "We batted the whole day, adding 377 without being separated," he said. "That was the best partnership I have ever had.

"At that time we weren't aware that we were near the record. We came to know only at the end of the day." They missed it by two runs. But there was good news by the end of the day: Vijay had been selected to replace Gautam Gambhir in the Test against Australia and had to leave the match mid-way.

Vijay is the big boy of the team. Over the last year, he has done better than Abhinav. With a day's notice he turned up for India, and looked as comfortable in Test whites as he did in first-class flannels. His natural batting style has a lot to do with it: he goes for his shots and is a flamboyant character. So how does it work out between two batsmen who are quick scorers? "We don't get into a contest," Abhinav said. "Just that whoever gets going that day, the other plays second fiddle. I was 94 when he got out [on 69]."

Abhinav explained how their partnership worked: "Vijay and I get along really well, we point out each other's shortcomings, we encourage each other a lot, we run really well. I enjoy batting with him, he is a good partner to bat with. We clicked from the start.

"In today's innings [day one of the semi-final] we looked to leave the balls initially, then we got a good start, got boundaries, and after that we didn't talk much because we were batting really well."

Communication is the key, Karthik said. "They are able to judge periods of play when the bowlers are giving them a tough spell, and they have to slow down the scoring, and periods when they can capitalise and lift the scoring rate."

Vijay wanted to cash in on the good times. "He [Abhinav] is in great form, I am also doing well… so we just want to keep the partnership. It is a great feeling to get good starts for your team, so we feed off it. We are enjoying each other's success."