Rajasthan's batsmen employed a cautious approach as the hosts reached 483 for 5 at stumps on the second day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu, at the Sawai Mansingh stadium, in Jaipur, on Tuesday.
At stumps, former India Under-19 captain Ashok Menaria (88 not out, 159 balls, 9x4, 2x6) and skipper Hrishikesh Kanitkar (65 not out, 174 balls, 6x4) had added 95 runs for the undefeated sixth wicket stand. Kanitkar, who on Monday retired hurt on 28, came in to bat at the fall of the fifth wicket, at 388.
Earlier, Rajasthan started the day on 236 for one, with centurion Aakash Chopra and night-watchman Vivek Yadav (5) at the crease. Yadav didn't last long as he gloved a short delivery from L Balaji to Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps.
Chopra (139, 329 balls, 15x4) and Robin Bisht (64, 144 balls, 8x4) added 49 runs to take the score to 294 before the former India opener closed the face of his bat to an outgoing delivery from Sunil Sam (two for 80) and was caught by K Vasudevdas at gully.
Bisht, however, punished the loose balls in the company of Rashmi Ranjan Parida (19) but the latter was adjudged leg before to part-time seamer Rajgopal Sathish.
Menaria showed a lot of positive intent from the start as he wasn't afraid of playing the lofted shot off the spinners.
He, in fact, lofted off-spinner Suresh over long on for a huge six. The former India colts player who got his maiden first class ton against Mumbai in the quarter-finals, showed a lot of composure. The southpaw was hardly troubled by the Tamil Nadu bowlers. The pitch had eased out, which was also a factor in the bowlers being rendered ineffective.
Rajasthan however didn't get the required acceleration on the second day despite having lost only one wicket on Monday. After scoring 236 on Day One, they have managed only 247 on Day 2.
They will certainly bat for an hour on Day 3 as they would like Menaria to score his second first-class century in as many matches.
