UP upset Delhi, Baroda take three points

Baroda started the final day needing one considerable partnership to secure their first-innings points, and they got two of them.

Baroda were 237 ahead at the start of the day, and lost both overnight batsmen, Abhimanyu Chauhan and Irfan Pathan, soon. Ketan Panchal, along with Pinal Shah and Gagandeep Singh, then batted Karnataka out of the game. Panchal and Pinal added 48, and then Panchal put on 65 with Gagandeep.

Baroda showed no keenness to make any outlandish declaration, which is understandable given the short recovery time between matches. Karnataka then got some batting practice for 32 overs.

Virender Sehwag's century, batting with a cut finger, was not enough to save Delhi the embarrassment of losing to Uttar Pradesh. Four of Delhi's XI made it to India's Test squad, as opposed to UP's zero. However, it was the lesser-known side that delivered the knockout blow on the final day.

Delhi began the day 29 ahead with six wickets in hand, and lost two more in little time. Sehwag, though, played a calculated and attacking innings to give Delhi a fighting chance, especially given the haze and the chances of bad light bringing the day to an early end.

Imtiaz Ahmed, who took his maiden five-for in the first innings, added four more to his tally, including Sehwag. Bhuvneshwar took four too. Chasing 155 in more than 60 overs, UP stumbled a little but sealed the six points through 30s from captain Suresh Raina and first-innings centurion Mukul Dagar.

Raina, who was dropped from the Test squad just before he came out to bat, later tweeted: "Feeling great to start with a win. Proud of the UP boys - all round team work & we get the crucial points! Off to Pune for the next"

No play was possible on the final day in Cuttack as the match was called off at 9.45am. Only 33.1 overs were possible in this rain-marred match.