Punjab were precariously placed at 98 for two in their first innings against Baroda in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'A' cricket match at Vadodra on Monday.

At stumps on day two, the visitors were 271 behind Baroda's first innings total of 369 with Dinesh Mongia unbeaten in 53 and Pankaj Dharmani on 29.

After losing two wickets of prolific scorer Ravneet Ricky and Munish Sharma at a total of 18 runs, Mongia and Dharmani came to the rescue of the team and their unbeaten third wicket partneship adding 80 runs without any further damage.

Mongia's 53 included nine hits to the fence while Dharmani's score was studded with 6 fours.

Earlier, resuming at 233 for three, Jacob Martin (149) and Nayan Mongia (47) enabled Baroda put up a healthy total.

V Sharma, Gagandip Singh and Reetinder Sodhi scalped two wickets each while left-arm spinner Navdeep Singh took three wickets by conceding 26 runs.

It was Martin who fought the lone battle and helped the team to pile up the total of 369 runs.

Another notable contribution in Baroda's innings came from off-spinner Yusuf Khan Pathan, who made 17 runs in his Ranji debut, while Rakesh Patel scored 29 runs. Their ninth wicket partnership fetched 47 runs.

Scoreboard:

Baroda 1st innings
R Parab P Dharmani b Navdeep Singh           54
S Parab c C Madan b V Sharma                 19
R Solanki c M Sharma b R Sodhi               20
Jacob Martin c Dinesh Mongia b N Singh      149
Nayan Mongia b Gagandeep Singh               47
Shatrunjay Gaekwad LBW b Gagandeep Singh     00
Ajit Bhoite R Rickey b R Sodhi               08
Rajesh Pawar c Madan b V Sharma              00
Yusuf Pathan B R Sharma                      17
Rakesh Patel not out                         29
Shekhar Joshi b Navdeep Singh                00

Extras (3b, 5 lb, 17 nb 1w)                  26

Total (all out in 138.5 overs)              369

Fall of wickets: 1/41, 2/67, 3/115, 4/247, 5/255, 6/273, 7/282, 8/308, 9/355.

Bowling: V Sharma 27-6-96-2, Gagandeep Singh 30-10-86-2, Reetinder Sodhi 19-2-50-2, Navdeep Singh, 25.5-10-26-3, Dinesh Mongia 8-3-13-0, Ramesh Sharma 29-1-90-0.

Punjab 1st innings
Ravneet Ricky b S Joshi           12  
Munish Sharma LBW b Rakesh Patel    4
Dinesh Mongia batting              53
Pankaj Dharmani batting             29

Total (for 2 wickets in 39 overs)  98

Fall of wickets: 1/8, 2/18.

Bowling: Rakesh Patel 11-1-31-1, Shekhar Joshi 10-2-24-1, Ajit Bhoite 09-1-26-0, Rajesh Pawar 08-2-16-0, Yusuf Pathan 01-01-00-0.