Skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar (61) and Robin Bist (56) slammed half-centuries as Rajasthan put up 198 for 3 at stumps against Baroda on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Super League final in Vadodara on Tuesday.
Kanitkar led from the front, adding 117 runs with Bist, to lay the foundation for Rajasthan innings after Baroda skipper Pinal Shah won the toss and decided to bowl.
Night-watchman Vivek Yadav (4) was giving Bist company when stumps were drawn at the Moti Bagh stadium.
Earlier, openers Aakash Chopra (34) and Vineet Saxena (31) forged a 67-run partnership to give Rajasthan a slow but solid start.
The duo played patiently and worked the ball around for ones and twos, punctuated by occasional boundaries, to keep the bowlers at bay.
Chopra was concentration personified as he made the Baroda bowlers toil against his impregnable defence. However, at the stroke of lunch, the former India opener was dismissed by left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt in the 36th over.
Chopra was trapped in front of the wicket as he tried to sweep a Bhatt delivery that landed on the stumps. He hit just two fours in his 111-ball innings.
Kanitkar then joined Saxena at the crease as Rajasthan went into the break at 73 for one in 38 overs.
Rajasthan lost Saxena to the first delivery of the post-lunch session after he was brilliantly run-out by Bhatt.
However, Kanitkar and Bist then ensured that there were no more hiccups and shared a 117-run third wicket partnership to steady Rajasthan.
On a day when runs were difficult to come by, Kanitkar showed glimpses of aggression right after Saxena's departure, cracking two fours off Murtuja Vahora to the square leg and cover boundaries respectively.
Vahora was again at the receiving end in the 45th over, when Kanitkar guided a leg-side delivery down to the fine leg boundary and then brought up the team's 100 with another four off the bowler.
Kanitkar also showed no mercy to left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh, hitting him to the long-off fence for another four, before launching him over long-on for a six.
He picked another four in the 67th over off Bhatt as Rajasthan reached 142 for two at tea after managing just 69 runs in 30 overs in the second session.
Kanitkar brought up his fifty in the 71st over with a drive through the covers. He was finally dismissed by Waghmode caught at slips by Connor Williams.
Scorecard:
Rajasthan (1st innings):
A Chopra lbw b Bhatt 34
V Saxena run out (Bhatt) 31
H Kanitkar c Williams b Waghmode 61
R Bist not out 56
Vivek Yadav not out 4.
Total: (for three wickets) 198 (90.0 ov)
Extras (b-4, lb-7, w-1) 12
Total (3 wickets in 90 overs) 198
Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-73, 3-190
Bowling: M Vahora 19-4-51-0, S Vohra 20-8-33-0, A Bhatt 23-8-48-1, A Karambelkar 7-4-7-0, Swapnil Singh 12-2-30-0, A Waghmode 9-2-18-1.
