Rajasthan are well on course for their maiden Ranji Trophy title after taking a vital first innings lead of 33 runs over Baroda and posting 201 for four in their second essay at the end of the fourth day's play in Vadodara on Friday.
At stumps on the penultimate day's play of the five-day match, Rajasthan had an overall lead of 234 runs over the home team with six wickets in hand.
Left-arm spinner Ashok Maneria, who signed up with Rajasthan Royals for IPL IV earlier this week, celebrated the signing with an unbeaten 83 and with Rashmi Parida (78 not) stitched an undefeated 140-run innings for the fifth wicket to guide the visitors past the 200-run mark in the second innings.
Earlier, resuming at 324 for eight, overnight batsmen Sankalp Vohra (34 not out) and Murtuja Vahora (36) carried on Baroda's fightback and tried hard to surpass Rajasthan's first innings total of 394 with a 68-run ninth wicket stand but to no avail.
Another Rajasthan Royals new recruit, Deepak Chahar (4/79) broke the dangerous-looking partnership, dismissing Vahora caught by Akash Chopra with Baroda still needing 38 runs to get past the visitors.
But it was not to be as five runs later off-spinner Madhur Khatri rounded off the proceedings for Rajasthan scalping last man Bhargav Bhatt caught by Chopra.
In their second innings, Rajasthan, however, had a terrible start as they lost their first three batsmen, including skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar for just 11 runs.
But Robin Bist (22) and Rashmi Parida (78 not out) steadied the ship with a 50-run stand and then Ashok Menaria (83 not out) joined hands with Parida to take Rajasthan to a safe position.
For Baroda, Vahora was the pick of the bowlers in the second innings with figures of two for 48, Vohra and Bhatt picked a wicket each for 27 and 60 runs respectively.
Scorecard
Rajasthan (1st innings): 394
Baroda (1st innings): (Overnight 324 for 8)
Sankalp Vohra not out 34
Murtuja Vahora c Chopra b Chahar 36
Bhargav Bhatt c Chopra b Khatri 3
Extras: (B-25, LB-3, W-1, NB-1) 30
Total: (all out in 137.3 overs) 361
Fall of wickets: 1-63, 2-110, 3-113, 4-136, 5-226, 6-266, 7-269, 8-288, 9-356, 10-361.
Bowling: Singh 29-7-74-1, 27-6-79-4, Khatri 39.3-11-80-1, Yadav 40-10-91-4, Menaria 2-1-9-0.
Rajasthan (2nd innings):
Aakash Chopra lbw b Vohra 5
Vineet Saxena c Shah b Vahora 0
Hrishikesh Kanitkar c Williams b Vahora 1
Robin Bist c Waghmode b Bhatt 22
Rashmi Parida not out 78
Ashok Menaria not out 83
Extras: (B-10, W-2) 12
Total: (for 4 wickets in 71 overs) 201
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-6, 3-11, 4-61.
Bowling: Vahora 15-2-48-2, Vohra 10-3-27-1, Bhatt 22-1-60-1, Swapnil 11-4-24-0, Waghmode 9-4-19-0, Devdhar 1-0-2-0, Karambelkar 1-0-6-0, Rayudu 2-0-5-0.
