JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<table class="zonk">
<tr>
  <td>a</td><td>b</td><td>c</td><td>d</td><td>e</td>
</tr>
</table>

<table class="funk">
<tr>
  <td>a</td><td>b</td><td>c</td><td>d</td><td>e</td>
</tr>
</table>

CSS

table td {
  width: 8em; height: 3em; text-align:center;
}

table.zonk td {
  background-color: #afa;
}
  
table.zonk td:not(:nth-of-type(3)) {
  background-color: #aaf;
}

table.funk td {
  background-color: #aaf;
}
  
table.funk td:nth-of-type(2) {
  background-color: #afa;
}