Saurashtra need 68 runs to avoid follow-on

Despite opener Kanaiya Vaghela's maiden hundred and half centuries by Sagar Jogiyani and Cheteshwar Pujara, hosts Saurashtra still needed 68 runs to avoid a follow-on against Karnataka on the penultimate day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Division encounter in Rajkot, on Friday.

The hosts were 352 for 8 in their first innings in reply to Karnataka's mammoth total of 570. Feroz Bambhania 26 (80b, 5x4) and Sandeep Maniyar (2) were unbeaten at the crease.

Rakesh Dhruve will not be able to bat owing to an injury.

Earlier, resuming at their overnight 103 for no loss, Saurashtra lost the wicket of Jogiyani when the score was 136. He made a quickfire 80, which was laced with 13 fours and one six, off 96 balls.

ut Pujara, who was today included in a 30-member World Cup provisional squad, batted with ease even as his team lost the wickets of Prashant Joshi (15) and in-form batsman Sitanshu Kotak (9).

Pujara made 62, which came off 90 balls with ten fours.

Saurashtra, who were comfortably placed at 279 for three at the tea break, dramatically collapsed and lost four quick wickets for the addition of just 23 runs after the break.

Vaghela, who cracked his first Ranji hundred before tea, was the first to be dismissed on 101 (262 b, 16x4).

Later Pujara and skipper Jaydev Shah (15) were sent back by Vinay Kumar reducing the hosts to 295 for five.

For Karnataka, Bhatkal was most successful bowler, taking three wickets conceding 53 runs while Vinay Kumar bagged two for 100.