Sachin Baby's unbeaten half-century leads Kerala on attritional day

Kerala made slow progress on an attritional day in Ahmedabad, courtesy of captain Sachin Baby's unbeaten half-century. Kerala's approach may have stemmed from their first-innings collapses of late, most recently in the quarter-final against Jammu & Kashmir when they were reduced to 200 for 9, and needed a last-wicket stand of 81 to take the first-innings lead that proved decisive.

Openers Akshay Chandran and Rohan Kunnummal put on 60 in 20.4 overs before Kerala lost 3 for 26 inside 45 minutes. Chandran was run out for 30, while Kunnummal was out lbw as he played down the wrong line to a Ravi Bishnoi delivery that beat the inside edge to trap him plumb in front, also for 30.

Kerala brought in a new No. 3 in Varun Nayanar in place of Shoun Roger, and while he blunted the bowling for a better part of an hour to make 10, he couldn't capitalise as he was out caught behind off seamer Priyajitsing Jadeja, whose four-for had broken Saurashtra's back in the second innings of the quarter-final.

The post-lunch session was one of survival over run-scoring as Jalaj Saxena and Baby put on a 71-run stand that took 27.5 overs, before Arzan Nagwaswalla broke through. Saxena, who battled his way to 30, wherein he denied himself runs even at times off perfectly drivable deliveries, was bowled as left-arm seamer Arzan Nagwaswalla sneaked through his defence.

Baby, who had by then reached his first half-century since the Ranji Trophy's resumption for the second leg, buckled down further to grind the bowling in Mohammed Azharuddeen's company as the pair saw off the last hour and a bit without further damage.

Gujarat won't be too disappointed with their efforts on a day where the surface offered precious little for both fast bowlers and spinners. Bishnoi was comfortably the pick of the bowlers, his 15 overs bringing him 1 for 33, primarily because he was quicker through the air and was, at times, able to cause the batters to be indecisive in their footwork.

The rest of the bowlers, especially the faster ones, were largely accurate but didn't have the pace to trouble the batters.