In a day dominated by spinners, Cheteshwar Pujara's brief stay at the crease ended prematurely, leaving Saurashtra at 212 for 9 against the Rest of India on the second day of the Irani Cup. The earlier innings saw the Rest of India being dismissed for 308, with Parth Bhut's exceptional bowling performance, grabbing five wickets for 94.
Karnataka's pacer, Vidwath Kaverappa, set the tone with an early burst, securing figures of 3/28 in nine overs. However, the spotlight was on spin duo Saurabh Kumar, with 3/64 in 25 overs, and Shams Mulani, securing 2/46 in 21 overs, who troubled the Saurashtra batters with turn and bounce. Off-spinner Pulkit Narang also made a significant impact by claiming the prized scalp of Pujara for 29 runs.
The consistent Arpit Vasavada made a gritty 54 off 127 balls, becoming the only ray of hope in Saurashtra's batting lineup. Pujara's exit came from a deceptive delivery by Narang, resulting in a catch at forward short-leg. The top-order was further rattled by Kaverappa, who dismissed openers Harvik Desai and Chirag Jani with deliveries that teased and confused the batters.
The post-lunch session saw Saurabh and Mulani tightening the noose, preventing any substantial partnership except for a 47-run stand between Vasavada and Prerak Mankad. With the dismissal of Mankad by Kaverappa, Saurashtra's resistance seemed all but over for the day.
At the end of Day 2's play, Saurashtra were still trailing by 96 runs with skipper Jaydev Unadkat unbeaten for 17. Rest of India would look to wrap up Saurashtra's first innings early in the morning session and take a sizeable lead.
Brief Scores: Rest of India 308 all out in 94.2 overs (Sai Sudharsan 72, Saurabh Kumar 39; Parth Bhut 5/94 in 29.2 overs).
Saurashtra 212/9 in 80 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 29, Arpit Vasavada 54; Saurabh Kumar 3/64, Vidwath Kaverappa 3/28).
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