Baroda stumble after curbing Karnataka

If there was a jukebox that teams could use to pick the kind of day they were going to have, Baroda hit the wrong number. They forced Karnataka to concede a first-innings lead - an event that last occurred in December 2013 - but their top order erased that advantage and a trend appeared. One step forward, two steps back and do-si-do.

At 65 for 4, Deepak Hooda took the lead in the frustrating dance with 67 off 135 balls and made sure Baroda did not fall too far out of sync. They were ahead by 237 runs, with two wickets left at stumps to set up a final day full of possibilities.

Karnataka struck with the first ball they bowled as S Aravind got the ball to nibble in enough to pin Saurabh Wakaskar on the pads. Then, the left-arm seamer bowled Kedar Devdhar, who defended the ball but failed to prevent it from rolling onto his stumps. Three overs into the innings where Baroda had to set a target, 37.83 percent of their runs this season, prior to this match, were gone.

Hitting the deck provided Karnataka their way back after being all out for 302. A vital cameo from Abhimanyu Mithun - 40 off 35 balls - assisted in keeping the deficit down in the morning. Then, he combined with Aravind to test the Baroda top order and found them to be nervous again. The visitors crawled to lunch at 26 for 2 in 12 overs, hoping for a reprieve. But Aravind struck in the fourth over after the break, luring Hardik Pandya to nick off to the keeper.

Aditya Waghmode attempted to change the tune, taking Ronit More for successive fours in the next over. The 22-year old right-arm seamer was playing his first competitive game since the Karnataka Premier League in September and hadn't played first-class cricket since taking 1 for 76 against Punjab in January 2014. It was through a counterattack that Baroda had recovered in their first innings and their captain had spent enough time - 65 balls when Baroda reached fifty - to think of leading one.

Karnataka's frontline pace bowlers were recuperating. Karun Nair was brought into the attack and Waghmode's flash against the part-timer was justified. Only it became a thick outside edge that was snapped up well by Robin Uthappa at gully.  One step forward, two steps back and do-si-do.

It appeared the only way Karnataka would lose hold of the match was if they decided to do so. To ensure that doesn't happen, Uthappa engaged with the crowd to keep the bowlers refreshed and intimidate the opposition. The effect was particularly stark when Mithun launched a leg-before appeal against Hooda in the 25th over and a yell of "Give it, boss" rang out from the stands. The umpires, though, were in no mood to listen to the partisan crowd or the pleading Karnataka bowlers. There were several queries - some optimistic, a few close and every one of them strong - but Virender Sharma and Navdeep Singh were quite stoic and copped a few heckles for their trouble.

When the bowlers did create clear chances, Uthappa was unable to convert them. He dropped Yusuf Pathan on 1 and Hooda on 43 and the duo capitalised to push the fifth-wicket partnership to 65 in 110 balls.

A keen sense for length, disdain for spin and the ability to absorb pressure amplified Hooda's threat while Yusuf displayed good patience to wait for the bad ball. It would have been perfect for the visitors, considering their jittery start and the lack of partnerships if even one of the two could make it to tomorrow. But Hooda was brilliantly caught by R Samarth at silly point on the first ball after the final drinks break and the Pathan brothers were dismissed tallying 42 runs.

One step forward, two steps back. And do-si-do. One more duet awaits.