Seasoned batsman Sitanshu Kotak stood tall amid ruins and struck a fighting hundred to steer Saurashtra to a vital first innings lead on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Division tie against Maharashtra in Nagothane on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old left-handed batsman, playing his 87th first class tie, used his vast experience of scoring over 5,700 runs to extricate his team from difficulties and pilot them to a lead of 117 runs over Maharashtra in the group A tie at the Reliance Stadium.
Maharashtra ended the day at 34 for one in the second innings after losing opener Vishant More cheaply once again.
Harshad Khadiwale (8) and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (11) were the at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day with the hosts trailing by 83 runs.
Kotak, playing a sheet-anchor role even as wickets fell around him, stayed at the crease for over seven hours in making a determined 108 off 277 balls with six fours as Saurashtra, replying to the hosts' paltry first innings tally of 136, made 253 after recovering from 100 for five.
Kotak, not out 27 in last evening's score of 73 for two, lost his third wicket partner Cheteshwar Pujara in the fifth over for 35 at 87 and saw the backs of two other batsmen before stitching 59 runs for the sixth wicket with all rounder Ravindra Jadeja (34 in 73 balls).
With Saurashtra's lead wafer-thin, they were in danger of being bowled out when they plunged to 198 for eight. But S Jobanputra (24) gave support to Kotak and helped the visitors recover to 253 before the centurion was dismissed by W Sayyed.
Fallah and Bahutule grabbed three wickets apiece while Sayyed got two.
Scorecard:
Maharashtra (1st innings): 136
Saurashtra (1st innings, overnight 73/2):
K Vaghela lbw b Fallah 5
S Jogiyani c Takawale b Fallah 1
S Kotak lbw b Sayyed 108
C Pujara c More b Fallah 35
F Bambhaniya c Kanitkar b Sayyed 2
J Shah c More b Bahutule 6
R Jadeja run out (Jadhav) 34
R Dhurv lbw b Bahutule 10
K Makvana c Venugopal Rao b Agharkar 5
S Jobanputra b Bahutule 24
S Maniar not out 0
Extras: (b 9, lb 2, nb 12) 23
Total: (all out in 106.1 overs) 253
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-16, 3-87, 4-90, 5-100, 6-159, 7-178, 8-198, 9-253, 10-253
Bowling: S Fallah 24-7-52-3, W Sayyed 16-3-35-2, Y Venugopal Rao 8-1-21-0, S Bahutule 30.1-8-72-3, S Agharkar 15-4-39-1, H Khadiwale 13-3-23-0
Maharashtra (2nd innings):
V More c Jogiyani b Jobanputra 7
H Khadiwale not out 8
H Kanitkar not out 11
Extras: (b-6, nb-2) 8
Total: (for 1 wkt, in 14 overs) 34
Fall of wicket: 1-13
Bowling: Jobanputra 6-1-15-1, Maniar 3-0-8-0, Jadeja 4-2-4-0, Makwana 1-0-1-0
